Valentine's Day

Cold weather is back at the farm. We had a small amount of rain Tuesday, maybe a half inch during the day and evening. The light rain changed to a light dusting of snow overnight with just barely enough to be visible when daylight arrived. We watched a couple of movies during the day and then later in the evening, Stacey, Linda and I went to TN to eat at the Farmhouse restaurant. Below, I've quoted the newest information about Wolf Creek Dam.

Worst Fears May Be Realized With Wolf Creek Dam
Lake Cumberland, KY (WVLT) - The Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday they may have to lower Lake Cumberland an additional 30 feet before the end of the year because of the fears of structural failure at the Wolf Creek Dam. State and local officials say that would put communities in the area without water and force rolling blackouts. Kentucky officials estimate as many as 200,000 homes and businesses including hospitals and nursing homes could be affected.

Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher says something needs to be done. “This will be a real problem," Governor Fletcher says. "We need to figure out how to solve it soon." The Corps does have some plans in the case the water level is lowered including extending water pipes. WVLT Volunteer TV News and its sister station, WKYT, in Lexington, KY broke the news of fears of seepage at the Wolf Creek Dam in 2006. Months later, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged the dangers outlined in the initial reports.

Officials believe that if significant pressure is not taken off of the dam, a structural failure could occur. The latest news about having to lower the lake level an additional 30 feet, according to sources close to the story, is indicative of the gravity of the situation.

Also following the reports last year by WKYT-TV and WVLT-TV, state officials in Kentucky and Tennessee initiated meeting with local disaster and emergency officials in Cumberland River communities to prepare them in the event of a catastrophic dam collapse. Bill Purcell, the Mayor of Nashville, said he had been briefed on what would happen to his city downstream of Wolf Creek Dam. At the time, Purcell said his city would look like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina should the dam burst.
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