Whitfield Proposes Lake Barkley Pool Level Consensus
(Filed 10/02/08) WASHINGTON – Continuing his efforts to try to reach a consensus on when summer water levels will be reduced to winter water levels at Lake Barkley, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) sent a proposed consensus plan to more than 100 stakeholders who participated in, or were invited to, a meeting he hosted in August. At the meeting, representatives of the community, area businesses, property owners, sportsmen, conservationists, federal and local governments and the Army Corps of Engineers voiced their opinions on pool levels at the popular recreation site and the proposal Whitfield sent to the participants is a result of this meeting.
“I am pleased that so many members of the community and key stakeholders were able to come together in the spirit of compromise to contribute to this proposal,” Whitfield said. “Lake Barkley is a critical part of western Kentucky and I am hopeful that the consensus proposed today will move us closer toward establishing feasible and appropriate pool levels that best serve the community’s needs, without compromising safety.”
The proposal, which was drafted by meeting moderator Tom McManamay, is based on the input of all stakeholders who participated in the August meeting. Stakeholders will have 30 days to make any additional comments on the proposed consensus plan before Whitfield submits the proposal to the Army Corps of Engineers and requests an environmental assessment. Any eventual adjustment will require regulatory approval by the Corps.
The proposal drafted does not change the start date of the draw down, but makes small changes to the rate at which the water is drawn down. The proposed consensus drawdown plan would result in pool levels of 357.5 by September 1, a change from the current plan which has drawdown levels at 356.2 by the same date. Doing so would provide 1.3 feet more water at the start of the Labor Day weekend, improving safety for recreational use and allowing for dock owners and marina operators to extend the use of their boat lifts. This proposed drawdown would still get the water out of the buck brush and create significant mud flats, ensuring that the environmental impact is minimal.
Each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins its drawdown of Lake Barkley in early-July when traffic on the water is at its peak. Lake Barkley is a relatively shallow body of water filled with a number of obstructions, including tree stumps, road beds and old house foundations. These obstructions factor into a number of boating accidents as the lake gets shallower each summer and have played a role in fatalities over the years.