Low water levels impact one Barren River Lake marina

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. – Those endless summer days…full of sun, heat and, for some, spending the day on the lake.

But for some boaters, getting on the lake hasn’t been easy this year…and it’s all because of the drought.

According to Carissa Mabe, the manager of the Walnut Creek Marina at Barren River Lake, says the marina opened around the first of June. It would normally have opened much earlier in the season, around April 15.

So that means Walnut Creek Lake opened a month and a half later than normal.

The delay? Waiting for water levels in the lake to rise.

Barren River Lake is running about seven feet lower than normal for summer pool, and that has left some slIps unusable until the water levels rise more.

Even though Walnut Creek Marina is now open for business, some people think the marina is still closed.

Mabe says some that would normally use the marina believe the facility is still closed. She says just last weekend, one group of lakegoers thought Walnut Creek hadn’t opened yet.

But the lower volume of traffic passing in and out has helped one thing: construction.

A new floating bar, tiny homes and RV hookups are nearing completion and the reduced traffic in the area has helped construction crews work faster since there are fewer people to have to maneuver around.

Management of the walnut creek marina tells news 40 they have not raised prices this year to make up for lower sales volume.