Lake Barkley Water Level
Lake Barkley is at 354.99 ft today (Oct 6), 4.01 ft below its 359 ft full pool, down 0.15 ft this week.
Kentucky & Tennessee · Cumberland River
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Water level history
About Lake Barkley
Lake Barkley is a reservoir on the Cumberland River in Kentucky & Tennessee, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A canal links it to neighboring Kentucky Lake. Its full summer pool sits at 359 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Barkley's water level
Lake Barkley is the last reservoir on the Cumberland River, backed up by Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky, and it never runs on its own schedule. About a mile and three quarters above the dam, the Barkley Canal cuts through to Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River. The canal has no lock; the Corps describes it as the only free-flowing waterway in the nation linking major lakes on two principal rivers, with a 400-foot bottom width and at least 11 feet of channel. Because water can move freely between the two lakes, the Corps and TVA run Barkley and Kentucky Dam at essentially the same elevation, and they have to keep the two pools closely matched to prevent violent currents in the canal. When you read Barkley's level, you are largely reading Kentucky Lake's too. Between the two lakes lies Land Between the Lakes, about 170,000 acres on Barkley's west shore managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The level follows a Corps guide curve with a five-foot annual swing. From December 1 to April 1 the target is winter pool, 354 feet above sea level. The lake rises to 357 by April 15 and reaches summer pool, 359, by May 1. It holds 359 until July 1, eases down to 355 by October 1, and returns to 354 by December 1. That lowered winter pool is empty space kept for spring floods; above it the project can store water up to elevation 375, about 2.08 million acre-feet of flood storage over a drainage area of 17,598 square miles. The record came in the spring 2011 flooding, when the lake reached 372.5 feet, more than 13 feet above summer pool. Anglers at the time reported flooded launch ramps, campgrounds and parking lots around both lakes, with docks that were normally a short walk away cut off by water.
The dam was a long project. Construction began in June 1957, the navigation lock opened in July 1964, and the Corps finished the $142 million project in March 1966, with flood control fully effective that February and a dedication on August 20, 1966. It is named for Alben W. Barkley of Paducah, the 35th vice president. The dam stands 157 feet high and 10,180 feet long, its lock measures 110 by 800 feet with a normal lift of 57 feet, and four 32,500 kilowatt units give it 130,000 kilowatts of generating capacity. Filling the lake in 1966 drowned the business districts of two river towns. Eddyville had already platted a new town about three miles north in 1959, leaving the state penitentiary behind in what is now called Old Eddyville, while Kuttawa rebuilt its homes and shops on higher ground annexed to the surviving part of town.
Lake Barkley — frequently asked
What is Lake Barkley's full pool?
Summer pool is 359 feet above sea level, which the Corps targets from May 1 through July 1. Winter pool is 354 feet, held from December 1 to April 1. The lake can rise well above 359 during floods, since the flood control pool extends to elevation 375. At summer pool the lake stretches about 118 river miles up the Cumberland and has roughly 1,004 miles of shoreline, according to the Corps.
When is Lake Barkley drawn down, and when does it refill?
The drawdown starts after July 1. The Corps lowers the lake from 359 to 355 by October 1 and then to winter pool, 354, by December 1. It stays there until April 1, climbs to 357 by April 15, and is back at 359 by May 1. The purpose of the lower winter level is to leave room to catch spring runoff from the Cumberland basin before it reaches the Ohio.
What is the record high level on Lake Barkley?
372.5 feet above sea level, set during the spring 2011 flooding, according to the Corps' 2017 master plan for the lake. That is 13.5 feet above summer pool and within a few feet of the 375 foot top of the flood control pool. Around Barkley and Kentucky Lake the flood covered launch ramps, campgrounds, picnic areas and parking lots, and submerged objects that are normally visible became boating hazards. The recent high shown by this page's gauge covers only the last few years of readings.
Why do Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake have the same water level?
They are joined by the Barkley Canal, a lockless cut about 1.75 miles upstream of the two dams. Because water flows freely through it, the Corps, which runs Barkley Dam, and TVA, which runs Kentucky Dam, operate the two reservoirs at essentially the same elevation. If the pools got out of step, the canal would carry violent currents, so releases at the two dams are closely coordinated.
What happened to Old Eddyville and Old Kuttawa?
Both towns sat in the Cumberland valley and lost much of their land when the lake was impounded in 1966. Eddyville moved about three miles north to the Fairview community, filing the new town plat in August 1959 on lots offered free by Lee S. Jones. The Kentucky State Penitentiary stayed on the shore at Old Eddyville. In Kuttawa, the government bought the entire business district and much of the residential area, and residents rebuilt on higher ground.
How big is the lock at Barkley Dam?
The lock chamber is 110 feet wide and 800 feet long, with a normal lift of 57 feet, from about 302 feet on the tailwater side up to the 359 foot summer pool. It opened to navigation in July 1964, nearly two years before the dam was finished. The Corps reports that more than 3.89 million tons of cargo move through the project each year.
Who is Lake Barkley named after?
Alben W. Barkley of Paducah, Kentucky, who served as a U.S. senator and as the 35th vice president of the United States. The dam that creates the lake carries his name as well. It was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, starting in 1957 and was dedicated on August 20, 1966.
Other lakes near Lake Barkley
- Barren River LakeKY
- Yatesville LakeKY
- Cave Run LakeKY
- Rough River LakeKY
- Lake CumberlandKY
- Paintsville LakeKY
See current levels for all 15 Kentucky lakes and reservoirs →
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