An assistant secretary of the Army and a top official of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers toured Lake Cumberland Wednesday to emphasize the Corps’ commitment to repair Wolf Creek Dam and its awareness of the adverse economic impact because of low water levels.
John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Gen. Bruce Berwick, commander of the Great Lakes-Ohio River District of the Corps, viewed the lake from a state helicopter supplied by Gov. Ernie Fletcher.
“I’m the kind of guy who has a hard time understanding something I haven’t seen,” said Woodley. He said the helicopter tour was his first chance to view Lake Cumberland.
Woodley emphasized that rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam is “ ... one of the Corps’ very highest priorities.”
The 56-year-old dam has been classified by an outside panel of experts as being in high risk of failure. A $309 million, seven-year rehabilitation program is currently under way.
Berwick promised to speed up the repair timetable if possible.
“We would ask for (additional) money if we find we can expedite the project,” he observed. Congress up to now has given the Corps all the money it has requested. More than $30 million is in the current budget and $54.1 million is in the budget for fiscal year 2008.
“Whatever happens on the ground (at the dam) is not because they (Corps) don’t have the resources,” Wooley remarked.
“I’m really impressed with the efforts of the state, particularly to step up to the plate to ensure lake access and make sure the marinas can continue to serve,” Woodley continued.
He said he is amazed at the amount of water in Lake Cumberland, even at the current level, some 40 feet below normal. “This is the largest impounded body of water east of the Mississippi,” he reminded.
“It still is an enormous body of water,” he emphasized. “Whoever thinks about coming to Kentucky and spending time on Lake Cumberland should not be discouraged about what is going on at the dam. Even at this (low) level, there’s no reason for anyone to look elsewhere (for a vacation site),” said Woodley.
“This may be a good time to visit. You will probably never see it this low again. People who see the lake this year observe a unique situation,” he noted, apparently referring to expansive banks and rock formations uncovered by the falling waters.
Woodley and Berwick also met with officials of the John Sherman Cooper Power Plant at Burnside to discuss the water level and power generation.
“We’re not in doubt (about) the enormous impact of this situation,” Woodley concluded.
Local News
Related Photos
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John Paul Woodley Jr., center, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Gen. Bruce Berwick, second from left, commander of the Great Lakes-Ohio River District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, toured Lake Cumberland Wednesday in a helicopter supplied by Gov. Ernie Fletcher. With Woodley and Berwick at a news conference after the tour are Mark York, left, chief of staff for the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet; and Lt. Col. Steven J. Roemhildt, right, commander of the Corps’ Nashville District. Bill Mardis photo
Top Corps official visits Lake Cumberland
Stresses high priority of dam, local economy
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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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