This page gives some statistical information about Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam, the structure that impounds the Cumberland River near Jamestown in Russell County to create the lake.
Current lake level is 680.85 feet above mean sea level
Lake level change (approximate): .05" in 24 hrs
Current surface water temperature: 80.5
°F measured at State Dock, live sensor reading courtesy forum member lake4fun.
Latest Corps of Engineers water temperature: 80° F at the surface, 79 degrees at 5 feet, 78 degrees from 10 to 20 feet, 77 degrees at 25 feet, and 76 degrees at 30 feet (measured at Lee's Ford Marina on Aug. 18)
Controlling the level of the lake due to repair work on Wolf Creek Dam, release of water through the power facilities is at a low rate of 540 cubic feet per second with an increase to 2,020 cfs at periods. The lake is about 42-44 feet below the tree line, which is normally about 725' above sea level. However, there is still a massive volume of water in the huge and deep lake, and the surface area remains one of the largest in the eastern U.S.
Above data is updated daily around daybreak, and may be considered current. For the latest official readings, you may click the links in the box above right.
1984: 751.70 - 2 a.m. May 13 - highest recorded elevation
Recent low water mark--
2008: 680.25 - Jan 23 (10 p.m. - so far)
2007: 678.61 - October 22 (9 a.m.)
2006: 686.81 - January 16 (6 p.m.)
2005: 688.36 - December 31 (11 p.m.)
The lowest recorded water levels--
673.01 January 1, 1954 - All-time lowest since lake filled
677.80 February 9, 1977 - Lowest level during repair work on dam to fill a leak
Lake Cumberland general statistics
The normal summer pool is around 723 feet above mean sea level.
The tree line is about 725 feet.
The maximum pool is 760 feet (top of dam floodgates)
The top of Wolf Creek Dam is 773 feet.
Lake is considered at "flood control" level from 723-760 feet.
Normal power drawdown is between 723 and 673 feet.
The power generating capacity is considered "dead" below 673 feet.
Unless there is very low river flow during severe drought, the level of the lake cannot normally be lowered below a level of 673 feet because river inflow is greater than small sluice gates at bottom of dam can release.
At 760 feet elevation, the shoreline of Lake Cumberland is 1,255 miles.
At maximum possible elevation of 760 feet, Lake Cumberland is considered
to be 101 miles long, with a total surface acreage of 65,530 acres.
Surface acreage at 723 feet is 50,250 acres.
At minimum power pool of 673 feet, it is 35,820 surface acres.
Average depth of lake at summer pool of 723 feet above sea level: 90 feet
Deepest point in lake: original river channel adjacent to Wolf Creek Dam: 200 feet
Depth of river channel upstream of dam to Wolf Creek: generally 160 feet
Depth of river channel upstream of Wolf Creek to one mile upstream of Burnside: generally 120 feet
Comparisons—
The shoreline of Lake Cumberland -- at the theoretically maximum possible elevation of water -- is 1,255 miles.
The coastline of Florida, not including islands, is 770 miles in length.
The total Atlantic coastline of the United States from Maine to the tip of Florida is 2,069 miles.
The total Pacific coastline of the continental U.S. (California, Oregon and Washington) is 1,293 miles.
Lake Cumberland Facts (courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Lake Cumberland was filled with water in December 1950, and was constructed primarily for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power at a cost of about $80.4 million. Its shoreline measures 1,085 miles and the lake is spread over 50,250 acres at the top of the power pool.
Wolf Creek Dam ranks 22nd in the One Hundred Largest Dams in the U.S. and required
11,568,900 cubic yards of material in construction. It is over a mile long at 5,736 feet. (The concrete portion is 1,796 feet long; the earthfill portion, 3,940 feet.) It is 258 feet high at its tallest point.
The reservoir ranks 9th in the U.S. in size with a capacity of 6,089,000 acre-feet, enough water to
cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky to a depth of 3 inches. That's roughly 1.9 trillion gallons.
More than 4.7 million visitors spent 73,252,200 hours in pursuit of recreation and added more than $152,395,044.00 to the local economy in 1999. The number of visitor hours ranks Lake Cumberland 4th in the nation among 383 Corps Lakes.
Since it was impounded, Wolf Creek Dam has prevented more than $500,000,000 in flood damages for cities and communities downstream.
The six turbines at Lake Cumberland are capable of producing 270 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply the needs of an average city with a population of 375,000.
Cost of original dam construction: $81 million
Cost to repair leak in dam (discovered in 1967) during late 1970s: $96.4 million
.05" in 24 hrs
