Cumberland River Report

[silvercreek]

Since I live downstream of that dam, I have followed it closely. I've looked at the flood maps if it should fail. Worse than the May flood that did so much damage. That slippage of earth while they were grouting and the widening of cracks is scarey stuff. Compounding the problem is Center Hill dam which also feed the Cumberland has similar problems. Any info you guys get would be appreciated. Silvercreek

[kentuckytroutbum]

Silvercreek & waterwolf-

For current news on the dam, go to www.lakecumberland.com and click on "news." They usually have links to the Somerset & Nashville newspapers with the latest information on the lake & dam repairs.

Bill

[pacofly13]

Originally Posted by kentuckytroutbum

Silvercreek-

To my knowledge, no dam, holding this many acre-feet of water has ever been intentionally breached. As an architect, I've followed the progress of the repairs very closely, and the problems they've encountered.

Not only was the dam leaking, the bigger problem is that the karst limestone bedrock supporting the dam was also leaking. The karst limestone in southern & western KY is honeycombed with cracks, fissures,sink holes, caverns, and caves which gives underground water a path to dissolve the limestone. If you've been through Mammoth Cave, you can see the erosive nature of underground water to limestone bedrock. The big danger, to me, is that the karst limestone would collapse, and the dam would implode on itself, causing untold damage & loss of life.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be a fear monger, I really do hope that the Corp can save the dam. But with them not working on the "critical" section, and the cracks that have become evident at the top of the concrete dam & roadway, I have my concerns.

Let's hope that the Corp gives us good news in a few weeks, that they can save the dam and importantly to us, the river as a trout fishery.

Bill

call me crazy, but for years i couldn't understand why the corp would have built this earthen dam using karst anyway... seem as if they would know the porous nature of this rock and come up w/ a better plan. I know this is all in hindsight, but even most people know the formations of caves and how water seeps through.. breaks down the more porous limestone or softer rock.. and leaves a harder bedrock as a roof... hence a cave. sorry, just venting and frustrated.

[MarkHansen]

Don’t forget about the political side of things. This is like getting “real information” from the Washington DC wankers . . .

I read these news releases and DO NOT know what to believe.

[pacofly13]

Originally Posted by MarkHansen

Don’t forget about the political side of things. This is like getting “real information” from the Washington DC wankers . . .

I read these news releases and DO NOT know what to believe.

i think i agree w/ about 100% of that statement!

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by pacofly13

i think i agree w/ about 100% of that statement!

Who knows what to believe, they have been wrong from the beginning on how to fix it, how long it would take, how much it would cost, and how it would impact the fishery. Why myself or anyone else would believe them now, is mystifying.

[kentuckytroutbum]

As I said, " I have my concerns............."

Bill

[Knothead]

I don't fish the Cumbie but, like pacofly13, question why they built the dam, knowing there is a questionable foundation.

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by Knothead

I don't fish the Cumbie but, like pacofly13, question why they built the dam, knowing there is a questionable foundation.

Just like Center Hill (Caney Fork) they didn't knowingly build the dam over a volatile karst formation. I think I remember from geology classes that sometimes karst formation appear fairly stable then over time shift and change, we do live in a shifting changing world.

As much as I think the federal govt is completely incompetent at basically everything they touch, other then military stuff. I seriously doubt they would have risked millions of lives, and trillions of destruction with a building site on a less then adequate substrate.

Sh*t happens, and hopefully things will work out, but for now it sure seems bleak.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by pacofly13

call me crazy, but for years i couldn't understand why the corp would have built this earthen dam using karst anyway... seem as if they would know the porous nature of this rock and come up w/ a better plan. I know this is all in hindsight, but even most people know the formations of caves and how water seeps through.. breaks down the more porous limestone or softer rock.. and leaves a harder bedrock as a roof... hence a cave. sorry, just venting and frustrated.

Simple, we've got the funding, build them. It's sort of funny on the original 300 plus pages on Wolf Creek project, they were showing them filling the caverns with gravel then it disappeared

Grumpy