The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has drafted a letter to media outlets to clarify reports coming out of a meeting in Russell Springs Wednesday with Gov. Ernie Fletcher and his staff that gave 11 communities a December 31 deadline to prepare water intakes for a level of 650 feet above sea level.
A Corps spokesman emphasized “because we told communities to be prepared does not mean we’re going to lower the lake.” The Corps spokesman said he was referring to a report in a metropolitan newspaper and had not read the Commonwealth Journal story yesterday about the Russell Springs meeting.
A Commonwealth Journal editor insisted that he read the story from the newspaper’s Web site. “If it is wrong, inaccurate or unfair, we’ll correct it,” the editor promised.
“It appears to be fair,” he commented.
Following is the text of the Corps’ letter:
NASHVILLE (February 15, 2007) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not lowering Lake Cumberland an additional 30 feet to Elevation 650 feet as has been reported by the media in the last 24 hours.
The commander of the Nashville District, Lt. Col. Steven J. Roemhildt, sent a letter, dated 9 Feb. 2007, to eleven water supply users requesting them to lower their water intakes to elevation 650. An excerpt of that letter states:
“Based on conditions at the project, a possibility always exists that we may lower the pool even more. Because of this real possibility, you need to take necessary measures to allow for water intake with the lake at Elevation 650 feet NGVD29. We recommend that these measures be in place no later than 31 December 2007.”
(NGVD29 is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, which the vertical datum reference used by the Corps of Engineers. “Elevation 650 feet above sea level” is another way of saying this.)
The recommendation to water supply users is based on contingency planning by the Corps of Engineers in the event that further lake level reductions are necessary.
The decision to lower Lake Cumberland to Elevation 680 feet and continue that lake level through the end of 2007 has not changed. If conditions changed at Wolf Creek Dam such as a sinkhole or an abnormal reading of instruments in the dam, the Corps of Engineers would further lower lake elevation to reduce risk. Currently no such condition exists and there are no plans to lower Lake Cumberland below Elevation 680.
The Corps of Engineers has started an expedited grouting program, where lean concrete is being pumped into the foundation of the dam at critical locations. The Corps of Engineers plans to complete this program around the September – October 2007 period. During the Fall of this year, the Corps of Engineers will make a decision on the elevation of Lake Cumberland for 2008. The elevation for 2008 may remain at 680, may be raised or may be lowered. The Corps of Engineers will base this decision upon the results of the grouting program and the conditions of Wolf Creek Dam at that time.
The Corps of Engineers constantly monitors Wolf Creek Dam and continually evaluates the appropriate lake level based on conditions at the dam and will adjust lake levels as necessary to operate the lake and to reduce risk.
Local News
Related Photos
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This photograph of the ramp at General Burnside Island was taken last week. The Army Corps of Engineers said yesterday that Lake Cumberland will not be dropped to 650 feet.
Doing The Back Stroke
Corps now insists Lake Cumberland will not be lowered to 650 feet
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Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past. -
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.
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SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255. -
Newspaper veteran name Publisher of Commonwealth Journal
SOMERSET — A fourth generation newspaperman has been named publisher of the Commonwealth Journal.
Rob McCullough, 50, who started working in a newspaper mailroom when he was 15, officially assumes his duties today. He succeeds Jack McNeely who has accepted a position with the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, Alabama.
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