Published: March 11, 2007 04:42 am      

Dock extensions set for this week

Somerset — Contractors are expected to begin work on extending 10 landlocked boat ramps — including Waitsboro and Lee’s Ford in Pulaski County— as soon as the water level on Lake Cumberland drops to 680 feet above sea level, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Friday.

Bernie Kearns, facilities manager for Lake Cumberland, said work had to be put on hold for a while because of recent heavy rains. The lake level was at 685.86 feet as of midnight Thursday.

“Hopefully, we will get started next week,” Kearns said at a meeting with small business contractors.

According to Kearns, contracts have been awarded to extend boat ramps at Alligator No. 2, Conley Bottom, Fall Creek, Jamestown Marina, Waitsboro, Lee’s Ford and Grider Hill. The Corps is in the process of getting contracts in place to extend ramps at three other facilities, which include Beaver Creek Marina, Cumberland Point and possibly Alligator No. 1. The ramp at Halcomb’s Landing will be extended by the construction division in conjunction with a $309 million rehabilitation project at Wolf Creek Dam.

The work does not include county or state-maintained boat ramps. “The Corps does not have the authority to extend those ramps, but the county and state are in the process of getting contracts in place to do the work,” Kearns said.

Representatives from County Judge-executive Barty Bullock’s office were in Frankfort last week to try to get funds to extend county-maintained boat ramps. County officials have made a request to the Governor’s Office of Local Government (GOLD) for funding to extend 11 of 23 boat ramps maintained by the county. Several of the ramps are so far out of the water that it is not feasible to construct extensions.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced plans to lower the lake’s water level to 680 feet — 43 feet below the tree line — at least through the summer months to relieve pressure on the dam.

Kearns said work on the boat ramp extensions could be completed in 30 days or less once the water level reaches the recommended 680 feet.

The dam, which impounds Lake Cumberland, has been classified as a “high risk” of failure. An accelerated grouting program is underway in an attempt to stop seepage through and beneath the earthen section of the dam and below the concrete portion of the structure. The project is slated to take seven years to complete.

During the next nine months, the Corps plans to upgrade several of its recreational facilities to provide more opportunities for locals and tourists while the lake is at a reduced water level.

Some of the projects listed in the annual work plan include:

•Renovations to the day-use area at Fishing Creek Recreational Area, off Ky. 80 in western Pulaski. Kearns said the Corps is looking at redesigning the picnic area.

•New children’s playground area and restroom facilities at Waitsboro Recreational Area in southern Pulaski.

•Ten additional parking spaces at the top of the boat ramp at Cumberland Point recreational facility in Wayne County. New underground electrical wiring and water will be supplied to campsites that previously did not have these services.

•New walkways and repairs to a restored grist mill at Mill Springs in Wayne County.

• Additional campsites and improvements at Kendall recreational area, below Wolf Creek Dam.

Kearns said all of these projects depend on the availability of funds.

Information on the construction projects was announced Friday at an informal meeting with small business contractors at The Center for Rural Development. Charles Appleton, deputy for small business for the Nashville District Army Corps of Engineers, will be the point of contact on small business matters in the Nashville district.

Extra projects could be added if funds become available.

“If we get any additional funds...all of this will be multiplied greatly,” said Kearns.