Umm with all due respect he apologized BEFORE he gave you the math lesson. Beyond that is the fact that while the dam is in bad shape it is no where close to the situation we had 30 years ago. The dam can take water up to 720 and beyond, without any real problem, this is a safety factor that was mandated and politically pushed by the folks downstream.. AKA Nashville.Originally Posted by Cherokee082465
However I agree with the assessment and the pressure from down stream... better safe than sorry.
The 680 level was set based on what the dam can hold with inflow in the spring with the spring rains. It can go up to 720 with no problem... the problem comes if it goes higher and there is TONS more pressure put on the dam for each foot it rises...and on the repair work. It also keeps the lake below the equipment that they are using to do the repairs on the lake side of the dam. Otherwise they could have left it higher.
NOW another lesson for ALL... Let your friends and neighbors know that while the dam is being repaired at an accelerated rate there is no danger of it failing to the point of any one being harmed at this time. There is plenty of water for recreation, and they should NOT stay away from the lake. The business folks down there need for people to understand this.
I have several clients who are being hurt by the silly nonsense the papers and TV reporters are reporting. There is no need for economic damage at all if folks will use the lake like they have in the past. There is no reason they can not use the lake after memorial day and the fishing in the lake will be better.
The businesses below the lake are in no real danger and the alarm system will provide at least a 5 hour safety window and that is if the dam just falls down which the engineers do not feel it will do.
The most likely scenario from the COE is that a leak UNDER the dam would start to drain the lake. It would create a whirl pool in the lake like a drain and it would take several days for the lake to drain. This would raise the river levels but should not cause death and destruction like the news media has talked about.
The media is talkign about WORST CASE scenario's and the COE has to plan for those.. but the Corps own reports state that the WORST CASE is less than a 1% chance.
Still the dam is in better shape than when they started to fix it back in the 60's. Nothing happened then and there was visible leakage and the dam was DAYS from failing.
We need the Ohio Navy and the rest of the vacationers to come to the lake and have fun. IT WILL STILL BE OVER 30,000 Acres and will still have more water in it than Kentucky Lake... (By volume not acrefeet) There will be plenty of places to camp, things to see, and places to explore.
PLEASE get the word out that Lake Cumberland is in good shape for recreation and that while the dam does need work it is not in any real danger at the PRESENT TIME..
Should that change there are mechanisms in place to evacuate any and all folks from the lake and below the dam.
Jim Dicken
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