2022 Final Draft Master Plan Review

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has updated its 1974 Master Plan for Carr Creek Lake located in Sassafras, Kentucky.

The final draft Master Plan and Environmental Assessment for Carr Creek Lake is available for public review below. 

Carr Creek Master Plan 2022
Carr Creek Master Plan - Appendix A: Maps
Carr Creek Master Plan - Appendix B: EA and FONSI
 

Carr Creek Lake Master Plan Update

General Information
Cave Run LakeThe Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Louisville District, is revising the Carr Creek Lake Master Plan. The Master Plan is intended to serve as a comprehensive land and recreational management plan with a life span of 25 years. It guides the stewardship of natural and cultural resources and the provision of outdoor recreation facilities and opportunities to ensure sustainability of federal land associated with Carr Creek Lake.

About Carr Creek Lake
The Louisville District designed, built and operates the project. The project serves as one unit of the comprehensive plan for the Ohio River Basin to reduce the flood stages downstream from the dam. The lake provides water supply storage and operates to increase natural low-flow conditions downstream of the dam in the interest of water quality control. The lake is located in the mountainous region of southeastern Kentucky, about 16 miles from Hazard and 18 miles from Whitesburg. The dam is located 8.8 miles above the mouth of Carr Fork, a tributary of the North Fork of the Kentucky River. The 710 acre lake and surrounding area offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. The Corps, in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, manages the land and water for wildlife, fisheries and recreation.

What is a Master Plan?
A Master Plan is the document that conceptually establishes and guides the orderly development, administration, maintenance, preservation, enhancement, and management of all natural, cultural, and recreational resources of a Corps water resource project.  A Master Plan is a land use management document.  It is focused on the operations and maintenance of an existing project and is no longer a “new project” document.   Master Plans do not include water management operations and associated prime facilities (dam, gates, powerhouses, spillways, etc.).  Of critical importance is the need to emphasize that a Master Plan is stewardship driven and must seek to balance recreational development and use with protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources. 

Why do we need a new Master Plan?
The current Carr Creek Lake Master Plan was completed in 1974 and updated in 1985, and have been used as guide for recreational and environmental stewardship decisions.  The Plan and the land classifications are in need of revision to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends and USACE management policy. Key topics to be addressed in the revised Master Plan include revised land classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs and special topics such as invasive species management and threatened and endangered species habitat. Public participation is critical to the successful revision of the Master Plan.

Public Involvement in Master Planning Process
Public participation will be a priority in the current Master Planning process.  We will be seeking public input from key stakeholders and partners.  In addition, open houses or public meetings will also be utilized to gather input from the general public.  We really want to know what you want, what your vision is for the future management of recreation and environmental stewardship programs might be, etc.  

Master Plan Classification
Cave Run Lake The master plan identifies classification (i.e. zoning) for the lakes. Public lands are allocated and classified into management categories which, based upon resources available and public needs, will provide for full utilization while protecting project resources. This zoning determines what types of development are permitted – for instance campgrounds are permitted in intensive use areas but not wildlife management zones.  The original Master Plan used slightly different zoning terminology than the new plan will use and also included detailed construction diagrams for campgrounds, picnic areas etc., and this level of detail will not be outlined in the new plan.

We will again re-assess the project’s environmental attributes, public needs, etc. but will not be producing detailed site designs.  Instead the focus will be on gathering public input and developing detailed natural resource inventories to guide in reassessing the future recreational needs and desired future conditions for natural resources.

Master Planning Process

Master Planning Process

Resources

Contact Us

Submit your comments to:
carrcreek.masterplan@usace.army.mil