Kentucky Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River on the county line between Livingston and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky . The dam is the lowermost of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in the late 1930s and early 1940s to improve navigation on the lower part of the river and reduce flooding on the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers. It was a major project initiated during the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's administration, to invest in infrastructure to benefit the country. The dam impounds the Kentucky Lake of 160,000 acres (65,000 ha), which is the largest of TVA's reservoirs and the largest artificial lake by area in the Eastern United States. It was designated as an National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1996 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
57-728: A canal connects Kentucky Lake to nearby Lake Barkley , created by Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River . The lakes run parallel for more than 50 miles (80 km), with the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area located between them. Kentucky Dam is located slightly more than 22 miles (35 km) above the mouth of the Tennessee River, which empties into the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky . After absorbing
114-603: A bridge just downstream from the dam— was rerouted to cross the top of the dam. The communities of Johnsonville and Springville in Tennessee, and Birmingham in Kentucky were completely inundated by the project. A protective dike was constructed at Big Sandy, Tennessee to protect the town from reservoir backwaters. Kentucky Dam was completed and its gates closed on August 30, 1944, and its first generator went online September 14, 1944. The project cost nearly $ 118 million, making it
171-595: A large area of Ohio. January 1937 remains as the wettest month ever recorded in Cincinnati. One hundred thousand people in Cincinnati were left homeless, as the flood affected the city from January 18 to February 5. The river reached its peak on January 26, at 79.9 feet (24.4 m), more than 25 feet (7.6 m) higher than flood stage. Ohio River levels on January 26–27 were the highest known from Gallipolis downstream past Cincinnati. Crests were 20 to 28 feet (8.5 m) above flood stage and 4 to 9 feet (2.7 m) above
228-500: A long-term concentration of wealth among residents and businesses which located away from the older central and western areas of the city. At Paducah , in January 1937, there was a two-week period of rain followed by a sleet storm. Initially, there were only a few individuals that were skeptical of the risen water level. At the time, most residents were accustomed to it and thought absolutely nothing of it. By January 19, it became clear that
285-416: Is located along the Cumberland River just opposite Lake City a few miles east of Kentucky Dam. The canal connecting Kentucky and Barkley lakes joins Kentucky Lake approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream from Kentucky Dam. Kentucky Dam is 206 feet (63 m) high; more than half the dam is submerged by water. At 8,422 feet (2,567 m) long, Kentucky Dam is the longest dam on the Tennessee River and
342-576: Is no longer a complete crossing, as the bridges that crossed the locks are now closed. Lake Barkley Lake Barkley , a 58,000-acre (230 km ) reservoir in Livingston County , Lyon County and Trigg County in Kentucky and extending into Stewart County and Houston County in Tennessee , was impounded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 upon the completion of Barkley Dam . Both
399-402: Is normally reached by May 1. The water level begins dropping gradually on July 1, and winter pool (354 ft; 108 m) is reached by December 1. The spring rise starts April 1. The lake's water surface area varies accordingly from 57,920 acres (234.4 km ) at summer pool to 45,210 acres (183.0 km ) at winter pool. As with the formation of Kentucky Lake , communities were flooded in
456-464: Is one of the few TVA dams built to withstand major earthquake shocks. Emergency preparedness officials in Marshall County and McCracken County, Kentucky (downstream from the dam) and a TVA spokesman discussed concerns of the public about the dam in 2005 in a local newspaper, The Paducah Sun . The dam was regarded as well maintained. Experts suggested that any dam failure would probably occur in
513-532: The American Red Cross and local churches. Buildings in downtown Paducah bear historic plaques that note the high-water marks, and at least one historic marker indicates the farthest inland extent of flood waters in the city. With 18 inches (460 mm) of rainfall in 16 days, along with sheets of swiftly moving ice, the '37 flood was the worst natural disaster in Paducah's history. Because Paducah's earthen levee
570-634: The Army Corps of Engineers navigated the city via rowboats and helped citizens to reach the relief shelters set up in undamaged churches and schools. Like other communities in the Ohio River Valley, Huntington was regularly visited by damaging floods, and business owners and community members were typically self-reliant in the aftermath. After the unprecedented damage of the 1937 flood, however, community and business leaders decided that more substantive preventative measures were necessary. Immediately following
627-527: The Tennessee Valley Authority sought to create a continuous minimum 9-foot (2.7 m) channel along the entirety of the Tennessee River from Paducah to Knoxville . The Authority also sought to help control flooding on the lower Mississippi River , especially in the aftermath of the Ohio River flood of 1937, as research had shown that 4% of the water in the lower Mississippi River originates in
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#1733116092938684-625: The United States Congress . U.S. Sen. Alben W. Barkley of Paducah and U.S. Rep. William Gregory from Mayfield and his brother U.S. Rep. Noble Gregory from Mayfield who succeeded him in office strongly supported the funding of TVA and its role in addressing flood control, soil conservation, family relocation, recreation, production of electricity, and economic development. Six to 12 inches (300 mm) of rain fell in Ohio during January 13–25, 1937, totals never before or since equaled over such
741-406: The 1937 flood was so unprecedented that civic and industrial groups lobbied national authorities to create a comprehensive plan for flood control. The plan involved creating more than seventy storage reservoirs to reduce Ohio River flood heights. Not fully completed by the Army Corps of Engineers until the early 1940s, the new facilities have drastically reduced flood damages since. In the 1930s,
798-569: The 1960s to build Lake Barkley. Locals often refer to "Old Eddyville" for Eddyville and "Old Kuttawa" for Kuttawa . The "Old" areas were the portions of the cities that were left above the water after the areas were flooded; these old areas are now lakefront. The present-day cities were created on nearby sites after the lake was impounded. Old foundations and streets, previously flooded, are still visible during winter pool. Highways were even relocated, including US 68 and US 62 , along with state routes and smaller streets. The Illinois Central Railroad
855-559: The Cache to the Mississippi River above Cairo . The majority of county residents were driven from their homes, while the riverside county seat, Mound City , was entirely flooded, with the shallowest locations still lying under 12 feet (3.7 m) of water. Cairo itself was saved only by low water levels on the Mississippi River, which rose only to the highest spots on the levees without surmounting them. The historic city of Shawneetown
912-780: The Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District, which built a system of earth levees, concrete walls, and pumping stations to protect the city. Jeffersonville welcomed the 1,000 WPA workers who came to rescue that city's residents. The federal government spent $ 500,000 in aid there, and $ 70,000 in New Albany. The Pennsylvania Railroad evacuated many area residents by train from its depot in Jeffersonville. Several small riverside towns, such as Mauckport and New Amsterdam , were so devastated that they never recovered. Harrisburg suffered flooding from
969-560: The Ohio River in 1883–1884 and again in 1913. Much of the city, except "Crusoes' Island", a downtown orbit that encircled the town square, was underwater. High water had reached 30 miles (48 km) from the river, and the city was flooded in its position among tributary lowlands of the Saline River . Floodwaters reached nearly 30 miles (50 km) inland and Harrisburg was nearly destroyed. 4,000 within Harrisburg were left homeless and 80% of
1026-410: The Paducah floodwall. The dam also carried a railroad line and two lanes of US 62 / 641 at its crest. However, due to the planned lock expansion, two new crossings were built just downstream of the dam—a two-lane road bridge and a separate rail bridge. The new bridges were opened in late 2009. The road atop the dam is still in use for local traffic accessing the dam's powerhouse and visitor center, but
1083-585: The Tennessee River watershed. TVA surveyed the lower part of the river and considered the Aurora Landing site, but eventually settled on the present site at river mile 22.4. The Kentucky Dam project was authorized on May 23, 1938, and construction began July 1, 1938. Much of the work of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the Tennessee River basin was strongly supported by the majority of the citizens in western Kentucky and their representatives in
1140-630: The Tennessee, the Ohio flows for another 46 miles (74 km) before emptying into the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois . The dam is approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of the Kentucky- Tennessee border and 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the Kentucky- Illinois border. The city of Grand Rivers is located southeast of the dam, and Gilbertsville and Calvert City are immediately downstream. Kentucky Lake stretches southward for 184 miles (296 km) across Kentucky and most of
1197-407: The air and provided information and support for nine days until 8:00 o'clock the following Sunday night, Jan 31, when the station's regular schedule was resumed. In January 1937, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , District Engineer, MAJ Bernard Smith dispatched an entire fleet down the Cumberland River for rescue and relief work in response to the severe flooding. The bridges were too low to allow
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#17331160929381254-574: The city of Louisville by an astonishing 10 feet, showing how large the flood really was. Several businesses in the Louisville area were devastated, especially the famed Rose Island amusement park (on the Indiana side of the river near Charlestown ), which never rebuilt. As a result of the flood, newer development in Louisville was directed to the east out of the flood plain. The east end has since benefited by
1311-616: The city was inundated. Many flooded mines were deemed condemned which left the local economy crippled. In 1938, the state of Illinois had completed one of the largest operations of its kind ever attempted in the United States, the removal of more than two and a half billion gallons of flood water from Sahara mine No. 3 near downtown Harrisburg. By the time the flood waters had receded, 4000 were left homeless . Between Gallatin County and Harrisburg, about 25 miles (40 km) of Illinois Route 13
1368-665: The city's general relief headquarters in City Hall with Red Cross, the Naval Reserve, the American Legion, the police and fire departments, and the Coast Guard. Messages of inquiry concerning the safety of friends and relatives, warnings of rising gasoline-covered waters, appeals for help from marooned victims, orders to relief agencies and workers poured into the cramped studios and quickly broadcast. Staff and local volunteers stayed on
1425-437: The convenient barge transportation and inexpensive TVA electricity. The locks' lift raises and lowers vessels up to 75 feet (23 m) between Kentucky Lake and the lower part of the river. Throughout the 19th century, Congress passed a series of initiatives to improve navigation on the Tennessee River between the river's mouth and Florence, Alabama . By the 1890s, a 5-foot (1.5 m) continuous channel had been secured, but
1482-422: The country. The lakes run parallel courses for more than 50 miles (80 km), with the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area located between them. Lake Barkley is 134 miles (216 km) long with a shoreline measuring 1,004 miles (1,616 km). The lake's level is maintained at different levels throughout the year for flood control purposes. Summer pool, 359 ft (109 m) above sea level ,
1539-592: The disaster occurred during the depths of the Great Depression and a few years after the beginning of the Dust Bowl . A handful of powerhouse radio stations, including WLW Cincinnati and WHAS Louisville, quickly switched to non-stop news coverage, transmitting commercial-free for weeks. These broadcasts consisted mostly of messages being relayed to rescue crews, as many civil agencies had no other means of communication. The Regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton
1596-462: The earthen levees at the end of the concrete portion of the dam, and the subsequent release would start small and enlarge as water poured through it. It is not expected that a 50-foot (15 m) wall of water would suddenly go down the river. Instead, the water level would rise slowly over at least six hours before flooding the Calvert City chemical plants. The floodwater should reach only the base of
1653-431: The entirety of the river from Paducah to Knoxville . The Authority also sought to help control flooding on the lower Mississippi River, especially in the aftermath of the destructive Ohio River flood of 1937 . Research had shown that 4% of the water in the lower Mississippi originates in the Tennessee River watershed. TVA surveyed the lower part of the river and considered the Aurora Landing site, but eventually settled on
1710-454: The flood gates and allowed river water to flood the business district 8 to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, thus preventing a catastrophic breaching of the flood wall. The Ohio River eventually crested 14 feet (4.3 m) over the top of the flood wall . Ten people died, many fewer than the 467 killed in the floods of March 1913. The river rose to a record 53.74 feet (16.38 m), which was 19 feet (5.8 m) above flood stage, and sent water over
1767-741: The flood, the Chamber of Commerce pushed for the construction of a floodwall that would protect Huntington and the surrounding areas. After a prolonged fight and a legal battle that made it to the West Virginia Supreme Court , the flood wall was approved, and the project was taken on by the United States Army Corps of Engineers . Since its completion in 1943, the Huntington floodwall has prevented an estimated $ 238.8 million in flood damage. Other areas of West Virginia were devastated by
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1824-527: The lake and the dam are named for Vice President Alben Barkley , a Kentucky native. The dam impounds the Cumberland River near Grand Rivers, Kentucky , approximately 38 miles (61 km) upstream from where the Cumberland empties into the Ohio River . One mile (1.6 km) above the dam is a canal connecting Lake Barkley with Kentucky Lake , forming one of the greatest freshwater recreational complexes in
1881-408: The largest artificial lakes in the U.S. Kentucky Dam is served by a 600-by-110-foot (183 by 34 m) navigation lock , soon to be supplemented by a larger 1,200-by-110-foot (366 by 34 m) lock which will be better able to accommodate the long barge tows that navigate the river in the 21st century. A large industrial complex of chemical plants has developed below the dam near Calvert City due to
1938-483: The length of Tennessee to the base of Pickwick Landing Dam , near the Tennessee- Alabama line. It is within parts of Livingston, Marshall, Lyon , Calloway , and Trigg counties in Kentucky and parts of Humphreys , Benton , Decatur , Stewart , Carroll , Wayne , Henderson , Henry , Perry , Houston , and Hardin counties in Tennessee. Barkley Dam, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ,
1995-455: The longest in the TVA system. The dam has a generating capacity of 223,100 kilowatts , and its 24-bay spillway has a total discharge of 1,050,000 cubic feet per second (30,000 m/s). Kentucky Lake's 2,064 miles (3,322 km) of shoreline, 160,300 acres (64,900 ha) of water surface, and 4,008,000 acre-feet (4,944 Gl) of flood storage are the most of any lake in the TVA system and one of
2052-559: The lower Ohio River. Other stations across the country did much the same. Around January 18, Huntington, West Virginia radio station WSAZ (1190 AM) began hourly broadcasts of flood related news. On January 22, the station received permission from the Federal Communications Committee to broadcast around the clock. The studios and offices in the downtown Keith-Albee Theatre Building became a regional communications center. They established direct telephonic communication with
2109-547: The most expensive TVA dam project. Kentucky Dam's navigation lock was the first lock designed by TVA— the Corps of Engineers had designed the locks for previous TVA dam projects. The Corps of Engineers is designing the new lock, which was scheduled for completion in 2008. Since Kentucky Dam is located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone — which produced earthquakes of estimated magnitude 7.0 to 7.9 in 1811 — it
2166-471: The population had fallen to 13,000. Afterwards, the Army Corps of Engineers erected a levee north and east of the city to protect it from future floods. The levee has become the official northern and eastern border of the town. Rural Pulaski County was functionally left an island by the rising portions of the Cache River , which near its mouth flowed in reverse as the Ohio floodwaters forced their way along
2223-520: The present site at river mile 22.4. The Kentucky Dam project was authorized by Congress on May 23, 1938, and construction began July 1, 1938. The construction of Kentucky Dam and its reservoir required the purchase 320,244 acres (129,598 ha) of land, 48,496 acres (19,626 ha) of which had to be cleared. 2,609 families, 3,390 graves, and 365 miles (587 km) of roads had to be relocated. 65 new bridges were built, 7 were rebuilt, and 3 were razed. The Illinois Central Railroad— which crossed
2280-491: The previous record of 1884. 12 square miles (31 km ) of the city's area was flooded, the water supply was cut, and streetcar service was curtailed. Among the flooded structures was Crosley Field , home field of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. Additionally, the amusement park Coney Island was submerged, causing pieces of carousel horses to float away, which were recovered as far downriver as Paducah . According
2337-516: The remainder of the original 2,800 prisoners were transferred to in a hastily constructed outdoor barbed wire stockade on high ground. They were eventually moved to a temporary prison camp in La Grange where a new Kentucky State Reformatory was then built. In Frankfort where the uncontrollable waters of the Kentucky River had attained an all-time crest of 48.45 feet, nearly one-half of the city
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2394-529: The rushing water was equivalent to that of the Niagara Falls. More than 100,000 persons were left homeless by the disaster. The WPA workers led the cleanup of the city. The Evansville Merchants Retail Bureau took out newspaper ads to praise their work: Before and during the flood these men of WPA were active in salvaging property and saving lives, and immediately afterward they handled the cleanup job with such efficiency that many visitors were amazed that there
2451-439: The several local historians, the town of Gallipolis was completely submerged as high as the mound hill cemetery overlook, and many rumors regarding the curse of Lafayette's Gold Treasure buried by slaves on Gallipolis Island began to surface around the town.This flood was very severe. In Portsmouth , the rising river threatened to top the flood wall, erected 10 feet (3.0 m) above flood stage. City officials deliberately opened
2508-459: The six-month-old riverfront plaza in Evansville. After January 19, the conditions in New Albany, Indiana were deteriorating at a rapid pace. By January 21, all roads leading to Jeffersonville were completely covered in water making it near impossible to travel. On January 23, a levee located on the intersection of two main streets failed. This caused for water to start rushing into the city; by midday,
2565-412: The town relocated three miles inland to higher ground. In Louisville, the water reached a height of 40 feet, which resulted in almost 70 percent of the entire city being underwater. 175,000 people were forced to leave their homes and relocate due to the flood. The reported damage of the flood in the state resulted in about $ 250 million worth of damage. This flood outdoes the second highest water level in
2622-422: The vessels to pass under, so the vessels were forced to steam across farmland and bridge approaches, dodging telephone and power lines. The federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent thousands of area WPA workers to the affected cities to aid in rescue and recovery. It also sent supplies for food and temporary housing, and millions of dollars in aid after the floodwaters receded. The scale of
2679-401: The water had risen to a total of 9 feet. The city and state declared martial law on January 24 and the federal government sent 4,000 WPA workers to the city to assist rescue operations. Residents were rapidly evacuated from river town by train and bus in the early stages of the flood, making Indiana the only state to avoid drowning fatalities. According to some residents of the area, the sound of
2736-471: The water was reaching a very high level. The Ohio River rose above its 50-foot (15 m) flood stage on January 21, cresting at 60.8 feet (18.5 m) on February 2 and receding again to 50 feet (15 m) on February 15. For nearly three weeks, 27,000 residents were forced to flee to stay with friends and relatives in higher ground in McCracken County or in other counties. Some shelters were provided by
2793-423: Was also relocated; the former alignment can still be seen under water from low flying planes above. The area was significantly damaged by a violent EF4 tornado on December 10, 2021. The State Park lodges were opened to house area residents whose homes were destroyed. Lake Barkley State Resort Park is located on the eastern shore of the lake. The largest yellow bass ever taken in Kentucky (1 lb., 1 oz.)
2850-699: Was caught in the waters of Lake Barkley. In 2019 officials started to aggressively deal with the invasion of Asian carp into Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The state is using electo-shock fishing and sonic devices and hope to remove 5 million pounds of the species a year Ohio River flood of 1937 The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , to Cairo, Illinois , 385 people died, one million people were left homeless and property losses reached $ 500 million ($ 10.2 billion when adjusted for inflation as of September 2022). Federal and state resources were strained to aid recovery as
2907-657: Was commissioned by The Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers to provide sketches depicting the miserable conditions of the flooded areas in the Missouri Bootheel region. When it became obvious that the river would cut the electric power to radio station WHAS—thus cutting the last radio voice in Louisville—the rival clear channel station in Nashville, WSM , picked up WHAS's broadcast via telephone and broadcast emergency flood reports for three days for
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#17331160929382964-454: Was completely inundated and the residents were forced to move to a tent city on the outskirts. Property damages in the southern Illinois region amounted to more than $ 75 million ($ 1.2 billion in 2015). Over three hundred bridges were smashed, six schools were ruined, and twelve hundred submerged homes. Flood waters were recorded at 65.4 feet (19.9 m). Damage in Shawneetown was so cataclysmic
3021-531: Was covered by 8.0 to 14.0 feet (2.4 to 4.3 m) of water; motorboats navigated the entire distance to rescue marooned families. National guard boats were the means of transportation in the city, and several thousand people were transported daily from temporary island to island. According to the Sanborn Map Company , Harrisburg in October 1925 had a population of 15,000, and in a revised version by January 1937
3078-561: Was ineffective against this flood, the United States Army Corps of Engineers was commissioned to build the flood wall that now protects the city. Flooding in Frankfort submerged half the city and caused an emergency when panicked prisoners in the old Kentucky State Penitentiary started rioting with the rising waters. With the assistance of the National Guard and state police, some prisoners were transferred to other Kentucky facilities, and
3135-470: Was practically no evidence of the flood left throughout our entire city. All honor and gratitude is due to the rank and file of the WPA for their often almost super-human efforts, always giving their best in the interest of humanity. The Red Cross and federal government spent the equivalent of $ 11 million in today's money in aid to the city. The Indiana State Flood Commission was created in response, and it established
3192-420: Was still deemed insufficient for major river traffic. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted an extensive survey of the lower river in the early 1900s, and recommended constructing a dam at Aurora Landing (roughly 20 miles (32 km) above the present site), but the project was never funded. In the 1930s, the Tennessee Valley Authority sought to create a continuous minimum 9-foot (2.7 m) channel along
3249-487: Was submerged. This included the one hundred and forty year old State Penitentiary from which about 3,000 convicts, guards and officials were evacuated under military supervision directed personally by Governor A. B. Chandler. Huntington, West Virginia , a city in the tri-state area that was built as a link between steamboat and railway commerce, experienced some of the worst flooding, with a crest of 69.45 ft (19 feet above flood stage ). First responders, volunteers, and
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