Several big rainstorms in the area of the Cave Run Reservoir, Morehead, Kentucky, caused the Louisville District Emergency Operations Center to activate so a close watch and systematic communications with local emergency officials in the area could occur.
The reservoir crested at 761.12 feet on April 20 at 4:45 p.m., less than four feet from the spillway. The lake exceeded its previous record pool of 759.7 feet, which was set on May 5, 2011.
The slow drawdown process of the lake to normal pool began the week of April 20.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continued to monitor the lake the week prior when heavy rains hit the area.
“Since we are currently 31 feet over summer pool, we’ll be releasing excess storage into June,” said Mark Philips, hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville.
As part of the ongoing dam safety plan, the dam is regularly inspected and is structurally sound. The structure is inspected annually by a licensed professional engineer, and every five years by a team of engineers.
The Cave Run Reservoir set numerous “record pools” before finally cresting due to the heavy amounts of rain the basin received. Spillway elevation for this project is 765 feet.