Low water levels halt removal of Edmonson County dam

EDMONSON CO., Ky.-Low water levels in Edmonson County are halting the removal of a historical dam on the Green River. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District stopped the process of taking out the Green River Lock and Dam No. 5 after concerns from the Edmonson County Water District. 

The district says the water levels are a foot lower than they should be…Edmonson County is in the beginning stages of drought due to the small amount of precipitation they’ve gotten. 

If workers would continue to remove the dam right now, water levels would continue to drop and Edmonson County would not be able to draw water efficiently. 

“We do want the dam to come out but that’s not going to happen until we have a workable, viable solution that everyone approves of with making sure that Edmonson County has the water that they need,” said project manager Chris Wernick. 

The dam was built in the early 1930s for commercial use. It hasn’t been used since 1951.