Volunteers needed
BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LOUISA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a cleanup of Yatesville lake while the water levels are low for winter next weekend.
The cleanup will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Volunteers are asked to meet at the Yatesville Lake Visitor Center at 708 Yatesville Dam Road in Louisa. Supplies including vests, grabbers, trash bags, and hand sanitizer will be provided. Close-toed shoes and old clothes are recommended.
Yatesville lake is a summer hot spot in eastern Kentucky, complete with campgrounds, a golf course, a marina, a beach and plenty of places to swim and illegally jump off rocks. However, many remember a time not so long ago when Yatesville was a series of roads and hollers where folks lived and drove to get to town.
The lake was created by impounding Blaine Creek with a 105 ft. tall, 760 ft. long rock-fill dam. The lake first reached “summer pool,” or normal operating depth, in summer 1992.
Every year, the Corps of Engineers lowers the water level of man-made lakes like Yatesville for the purpose of conducting maintenance like this cleanup. Lowering the lake also allows for easier repairs to natural and artificial structures in the lake and prevents flooding.
The Army Corps of Engineers is asking the public to give back to the lake this winter and take advantage of the low water levels to see and appreciate the lake from a new perspective.
For more information call 606-686-2412 or email kristen.c.lemaster@usace.army.mil.
