Lake Cumberland is an artificial lake in Clinton, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky.^[1] The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles (2,020 km) and the lake is spread over 65,530 acres (265.2 km²) at the top of the power pool. The reservoir ranks 9th in the U.S. in size, with a capacity of 6.1 million acre-feet (7.5 km³) of water, enough to cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with 3 inches (76 mm) of water. The main lake is 101 miles (163 km) long and over one mile (1.6 km) across at its widest point. The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for south-central Kentucky. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Clinton County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Laurel County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. ... Russell County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Wayne County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ... A reservoir (French: réservoir) is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... Clinton County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Laurel County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. ... Russell County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Wayne County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ...

History

Lake Cumberland impounded from the Cumberland River by the United States Army Corps of Engineers' construction of the Wolf Creek Dam in 1952.^[1] Wolf Creek Dam is the 22nd largest dam in the United States, and cost $15 million to construct originally, with an additional $65 million needed almost immediately to fix problems which became soon apparent. It is estimated that the dam has prevented more than $500 million in flood damages since its construction. The Cumberland River is an important waterway in the southern United States. ... The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is a federal agency made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... Wolf Creek Dam The Wolf Creek Dam is a dam on the Cumberland River in the Western part of Russell County, Kentucky. ...

Risk of dam failure

In 1967 a leak was found at the Wolf Creek Dam. Repairs were made in the late seventies at a cost of over $96 million.

On January 22, 2007, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began lowering the water level in Lake Cumberland, fearing a break in Wolf Creek Dam. Water seepage has eroded the limestone under the dam, creating the potential for a breach and subsequent flood that would cause damages into the billions of dollars in cities downstream, including Nashville, Tennessee.^[2] The water level, currently at its winter fill level of 690 feet (210 m) altitude, is scheduled to be lowered to a level of 680 feet (207 m) rather than being allowed to fill to its summer fill level of 723 feet (220 m), reducing the lake's summer surface area from 50,000 to 35,000 acres (200 to 140 km²). The Corps of Engineers will then attempt to curb the leakage by filling affected areas with grout while simultaneously filling a portion of the dam with concrete as a more permanent solution.^[3] is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is a federal agency made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... Nashville redirects here. ... Grout is a construction material used to embed rebars in masonry walls, connect sections of pre-cast concrete, fill voids, and seal joints (like those between tiles). ...

The drop in water level is expected to have a negative impact on the area's tourism industry as marinas scramble to adjust their facilities for the lower water level. Total cost to tourism-related businesses is expected to exceed $12 million.^[3] By June 2007, wildlife officials were already beginning to notice higher-than-normal water temperatures in the lake, which posed a major threat to the lake's brown and rainbow trout populations.^[4] Tourist redirects here. ... A small marina at Brixham, Devon, England. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Morphs Salmo trutta morpha trutta Salmo trutta morpha fario Salmo trutta morpha lacustris The brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario and morpha lacustris) and the sea trout ( morpha trutta) are fish of the same species. ... It has been suggested that Steelhead be merged into this article or section. ...

Uses

Power generation

Wolf Creek Dam's six turbines are capable of supplying the needs of an average city (population of 375,000) via 270 megawatts of electricity. The power generating capacity is considered "dead" when the lake's water level is below 673 feet (205 m).

Recreation

In 1999, approximately 4.75 million visitors added more than $152.4 million to the local economy. Of the 383 lakes controlled or maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Cumberland ranks 4th in the nation for the number of visitor hours. Over 1,500 houseboats float on Lake Cumberland and numerous power boats ply its waters. A houseboat in Amsterdam Houseboat for Students in Zwolle, Netherlands. ...

Lake Cumberland is home to two Kentucky state parks: Lake Cumberland State Resort Park on its shore and General Burnside State Park on an island in the middle of the lake.^[1] Maintained by the Kentucky Department of Parks, Kentuckys system of 52 state parks has been referred to as the nations finest and experiences more repeat business annually than those of any other U.S. State. ... Lake Cumberland State Resort Park is a park located on the northern short of Lake Cumberland near Jamestown, Kentucky in Russell County. ... General Burnside State Park is a park located in just south of Somerset, Kentucky in Pulaski County. ...

Several of Kentucky's record fish have been taken in the waters of Lake Cumberland^[5], including:

• Brown trout (21 lb)
• Lake trout (5 lb 5 oz)
• Rainbow trout (14 lb 6 oz)
• Sauger (7 lb 7 oz)
• Striped bass (58 lb 4 oz)
• Sturgeon (36 lb 8 oz)
• Walleye (21 lb 8 oz)

Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Morphs Salmo trutta morpha trutta Salmo trutta morpha fario Salmo trutta morpha lacustris The brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario and morpha lacustris) and the sea trout ( morpha trutta) are fish of the same species. ... Binomial name Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum, 1792) Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. ... It has been suggested that Steelhead be merged into this article or section. ... Binomial name Sander canadensis(Griffith and Smith, 1834) The Sauger is a fish which closely resembles its more popular cousin the walleye. ... Binomial name Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792) The striped bass Morone saxatilis is a member of the temperate bass family native to North America but widely introduced elsewhere. ... Sturgeon is a term for a genus of fish (Acipenser) of which 26 species are known. ... Binomial name (Mitchill, 1818) Subspecies S. v. ...

Statistics

• The normal summer pool is around 723 feet (220 m) above mean sea level.
• The tree line is about 725 feet (221 m).
• The maximum pool is 760 feet (232 m) at the top of dam floodgates
• The top of Wolf Creek Dam is 773 feet (236 m).
• Lake is considered at "flood control" level from 723 to 760 feet (220 to 232 m).
• Normal power drawdown is between 723 and 673 feet (220 to 205 m).
• At 760 feet (232 m) elevation, the shoreline of Lake Cumberland is 1,255 miles (2,020 km).
• At maximum possible elevation of 760 feet (232 m), Lake Cumberland is considered to be 101 miles (163 km) long, with a total surface area of 65,530 acres (265.2 km²).
• Surface area at 723 feet (220 m) is 50,250 acres (203 km²).
• At minimum power pool of 673 feet (205 m), the surface area is 35,820 acres (145.0 km²).
• Average depth of lake at summer pool of 723 feet (220 m) above sea level: 90 feet (27 m)
• Deepest point in lake: original river channel adjacent to Wolf Creek Dam: 200 feet (60 m)
• Depth of river channel upstream of dam to Wolf Creek: generally 160 feet (50 m)
• Depth of river channel upstream of Wolf Creek to one mile (2 km) upstream of Burnside: generally 120 feet (37 m)

The lowest water level recorded (since construction) was 675.10 feet (205.77 m) above mean sea level on January 27, 1981. The highest water level recorded was 751.70 feet (229.12 m) above mean sea level at 2:00AM, May 13, 1984. is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

References

Thomas Dionysius Clark (July 14, 1903 - June 28, 2005) was perhaps Kentuckys most notable historian. ... Nickname: Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Coordinates: , Country United States State Kentucky Counties Fayette Government  - Mayor Jim Newberry (D) Area  - City  285. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the C-J, is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• General Burnside State Park
• Lake Cumberland State Resort Park

General Burnside State Park is a park located in just south of Somerset, Kentucky in Pulaski County. ... Lake Cumberland State Resort Park is a park located on the northern short of Lake Cumberland near Jamestown, Kentucky in Russell County. ...

External links

• Lake Cumberland Directory
• Lake Cumberland Live Directory
• SuperSomerset - Lake Cumberland News