Kentucky River Lock And Dam 1

Kentucky River Lock And Dam 1 is a timber crib dam located in Carroll County, Kentucky, built in 1839. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

About Kentucky River Lock And Dam 1

The primary purpose of Kentucky River Lock And Dam 1 is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Commonwealth Of Kentucky (state). It impounds the Kentucky near Carrollton.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 462 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,310 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 25,290 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6,956 square miles. Completed in 1839, the structure is one of the older dams in the region, with over a century and a half of service.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 09/06/2024.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.

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Low HazardFair ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateKentucky
CountyCarroll
Nearest CityCarrollton
River/StreamKentucky
Coordinates38.65832, -85.14447

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeTimber Crib
NID Height35 ft
Dam Length462 ft
Year Completed1839 (187 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage25,290 acre-ft
Max Storage25,290 acre-ft
Normal Storage8,350 acre-ft
Surface Area1,310 acres
Drainage Area6,956 sq mi
Max Discharge8,750 cfs
Spillway TypeNone

Ownership & Safety

PurposeNavigation
OwnerCommonwealth of Kentucky
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection09/06/2024
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDKY03013
Federal IDKY03013
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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