Published: July 16, 2008 11:08 am         

Sources: Rumors that lake will be lowered another 20 feet are false

Local News

Somerset — A story making the rounds that Lake Cumberland will be lowered another 20 feet next month apparently is false, according to a wide circle of experts involved with or affected by the condition of the lake.

Apparently originating in Russell County, the story, circulating on the Internet and sent to the Commonwealth Journal, indicates that John Sherman Cooper Power Station at Burnside has been given 30 days to lower its intake cooling pumps. The story, now defined as a rumor, added urgency by quoting a source as saying the Corps “hopes” Cooper Station has 30 days to extend its pipes before the emergency drawdown.

Nick Comer, spokesman for East Kentucky Power Cooperative, owner-operator of Cooper Station, emphatically refutes the rumor.

“East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) is not aware of any plans by the Corps of Engineers to change the level of the lake,” Comer told the Commonwealth Journal yesterday morning.

Allison Jarrett, public affairs specialist at the Corps’ Nashville District, emphasized that Cooper Station has NOT been notified by the Corps that the lake is going to be dropped another 20 feet.

“That’s absolutely NOT the case,” Jarrett told the Commonwealth Journal. “We haven’t given them any date like that and we have no plans to lower the lake further than it is now.” Since January 2007, the lake has been kept about 40 feet below normal levels to ease pressure on Wolf Creek Dam.

Will Smith, chief of staff at Congressman Hal Rogers’ office, agrees. He said yesterday morning that the congressman’s office has received no indication or information that the Corps plans any change in the lake level. Smith said the congressman’s office has gotten “a rumor a week” since the dam rehabilitation project began.

Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler is on the same page.

“We’ve gotten no e-mails ... no information like that from the Corps.” said Girdler. The mayor expressed confidence that if the lake were going to be lowered, the city and its engineers would be informed.

Burnside Mayor Chuck Fourman also told the Commonwealth Journal yesterday that he is not aware of any planned changes in the lake level.

The apparently unfounded story is causing ripples along the lake.

“I heard the rumor ... but we’ve got no official notice of anything like that,” said Layne Wilson, manager of Burnside Marina.

J.D. Hamilton, owner of Lee’s Ford Resort Marina, also has heard rumors that the lake might be lowered “ ... but officials with the Corps tell me this is NOT the case.”

Grounds for the rumor may have been cultivated a couple of weeks ago by what has been called a faulty instrument reading at Wolf Creek Dam. Corps officials admitted the inaccurate reading, indicating excessive movement in the dam, initially created a scare and a discussion by the Dam Safety Committee about possibly lowering the lake further. Public safety officials in cities and counties below the dam were notified of the situation as was East Kentucky Power Cooperative.

Also, maybe adding fuel to the rumor is current planning by East Kentucky Power Cooperative to “reposition” barge-mounted pumps at Cooper Station “ ... simply to be prepared in the event of a quick drawdown of the lake,” Comer said. Repositioning of the pumps, still in the planning stage, reflects on the mini-crisis created by the faulty instrument reading, he added.

If a decision is made to reposition the barge-mounted pumps at Cooper Station, “it will only take about a week,” Comer said.

Ed Evans, chief of public affairs for the Corps’ Nashville District, said additional monitoring devices are being installed at Wolf Creek Dam in response to the inaccurate reading on an inclinometer, an instrument that measures fractional movement in the dam.

A news release from the Corps late last month said: “In the area adjacent to the concrete (section of) the dam, we are re-evaluating our grouting program. This is the area with the most caves and voids in the foundation and we are finding that closing of the grout line with our current grout processes is not possible.” Grouting is pumping chemically enhanced liquid concrete into the dam to fill cavities in the limestone karst.

Construction of Wolf Creek Dam was begun in the early 1940s, then interrupted by World War II before being completed in December 1950. It was built on limestone karst and cavities in the limestone base were packed with clay. Uncontrolled seepage was halted in the 1970s with a concrete diaphragm but the Corps decided in early 2005 that a major rehabilitation of the dam is necessary.

An accelerated grouting program was begun in January 2007. Two grout curtains are planned, one on each side of the proposed diaphragm wall to be inserted in the earthen section.

Proposals for the second diaphragm wall, longer and deeper than the original wall, currently are being evaluated. A contract for the concrete wall is scheduled to be let before the end of the month.

Corps officials have said they would evaluate the lake level upon completion of the initial grout curtain. However, this was delayed because of the aforementioned problems with closing the first curtain. Evans said recently there will be no change in the level this season, ending speculation that the water could be raised 10 feet this year.

     

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