Lake Barkley open house, tours of power plant, lock are well received

News: Lake Barkley open house, tours of power plant, lock are well received

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

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Story by Fred Tucker Subscribe To This Journalist

Fred Tucker

Park Ranger Kayl Kite (from left) and Mark Abshire, lock master, stand with visitors above the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Lake Barkley lock chamber June 23, 2012. This is one of four groups that attended a Barkley open house and toured the lock and power plant.

GRAND RIVERS, Ky. — The first Lake Barkley Resource Management Office Open House and public tours of the Barkley Power Plant and Navigation Lock in nearly 11 years were held today to better inform the public about the benefits these facilities provide to the nation. Public access to these U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District areas had been restricted since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Visitors ranging from those who were present when construction began here in the 1950’s to those visiting from New England expressed their pleasure for the opportunity to see and learn more about the missions of the Nashville District, and Lake Barkley assets in particular, according to Mike Looney, Barkley’s resource manager.

“We want to thank you very much for such a wonderful tour of Lake Barkley’s Powerhouse, Lock and Natural Resource Management Office today,” said Kathy Claxton of New Jersey. “You were all very professional, knowledgeable and friendly in answering all our questions.”

Each of the four group tours began with a PowerPoint briefing by Looney at the resource manager’s office and visitors were then bused to the Barkley Power Plant on the Lyon County side of the Cumberland River, 30.6 miles above its confluence with the Ohio River, to learn about hydropower generation.

From there, visitors were bused to the Barkley Lock across the river in Livingston County where most saw commercial vessels passing through the lock, transitioning from the upstream lake level to the downstream tail water level, and learned about inland waterways’ impact on transportation of bulk materials.

“We are glad to know more about the powerhouse and the lock’s critical necessity for transport over our waterways,” Claxton added. “It has given us a new sense of pride in our government and a renewed feeling of safety.”

The tours went extremely well according to Charlotte Stenger, park ranger.

“From the very positive feedback we received today, we know there is public interest in visiting our facilities and we look forward to upcoming tours,” Stenger said.

Future tours are scheduled, July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, 2012, with tours beginning at 9 and 11 a.m., and 2 p.m., according to Stenger.

To submit an online tour request form and to learn more about the tours’ rules and details, please visit the Lake Barkley website at http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/op/bar/rec/tours.htm. For more information, please call the Lake Barkley Resource Manager’s Office at (270) 362-4236.

For more news, information and updates, please follow the Nashville District on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps, and Lake Barkley at http://www.facebook.com/lakebarkley