By CHRIS HARRIS CJ Staff Writer
General Burnside Island won’t be cut off from the lake surrounding it this summer after all — efforts are currently underway to extend the boat ramp located there.
Representatives from Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s office, the Kentucky Trans-portation Cabinet and the Commerce Cabinet will be on hand at Burnside’s state park today at 10 a.m. to examine work done to bring the ramp out further so as to be usable for lake traffic. With concerns running high that ramps won’t be readily available in Pulaski County, hurting the traditionally bountiful tourism business here, Gov. Fletcher ordered the ramp extension following the announcement of plans to lower the lake level.
Lake Cumberland will be lowered to 680 feet above sea level for the remainder of the year, including the summer tourism season, in order to ease pressure on a susceptible Wolf Creek Dam. The level is 10 feet below what it normally is this time of year and several dozens of feet below what it typically is in the summer.
“It’s very important to the tourist industry,” said Burnside Mayor Chuck Fourman. “They’re going with the plan they said they would from the beginning ... to give access to the lake.”
Added Fourman, “The U.S. Corps of Engineers and the state are right on target and will do everything in their power to help the situation. They’ll be real careful with lowering the lake to 650 potentially because of how that would impact the community.”
Fourman said work was going on to extend the ramp on Monday. Stan Cave, the governor’s chief of staff, Commerce Secretary George Ward, and Highways Comm-issioner Marc Williams will be coming today to the scene of the project.
