Cedar Creek Lake (Kentucky) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cedar Creek Lake |
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Bank access along KY 1770
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 Cedar Creek Lake
Location in Kentucky
Cedar Creek Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lincoln County, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 37°28′49″N 84°33′23″W / 37.4802°N 84.5564°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Cedar Creek |
| Primary outflows | Cedar Creek |
| Catchment area | 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 784 acres (317 ha) |
| Average depth | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Max. depth | 47.56 ft (14.50 m) |
Cedar Creek Lake is a large, man-made lake in eastern Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA. It covers about 784 acres and is located between the towns of Stanford and Crab Orchard. You can find it right along U.S. Highway 150. This lake is special because it's the second largest lake in Kentucky that is controlled by the state government.
Contents
Building Cedar Creek Lake
The idea for Cedar Creek Lake started way back in 1989. It was planned to be a great spot for fun activities and to help the local economy in Lincoln County. Former Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton spoke about this project in 2002, calling it a "jewel" for the region.
Many groups worked together to create the lake. These included the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife (KDFW), the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), and leaders from Lincoln County. A key person was former Judge-Executive John Sims, who first dreamed up the project.
The lake filled up much faster than expected! This happened on February 16, 2003, because there was a lot of rain. The lake was formed by holding back water from the Cedar Creek area, which covers 14,000 acres. This made Cedar Creek Lake the second biggest state-controlled lake in Kentucky. Only Lake Malone is larger.
Preparing the Lake Bed
Before the lake was filled, a lot of work was done to get it ready. To create good homes for fish, workers decided to leave all the trees and bushes in the lake bed. In places where there weren't many trees, they added special structures. These included buckets filled with cement and long wooden sticks, tarps, and anchored trees. All these things help fish have places to live and hide.
Some old buildings, like houses, and parts of the old US 150 highway were removed. However, an old bridge from US 150 that crossed Cedar Creek was left in place. A church, a family Cemetery, and a small part of Kentucky Route 1770 were carefully moved to new locations before the lake was filled with water.
The Cost of the Project
Building Cedar Creek Lake was part of a bigger plan to rebuild a 7.2-mile section of U.S. Highway 150. This road is now called the John Sims Highway. The dam that holds back the water for the lake cost $4 million. The KYTC paid $3.5 million, and Lincoln County paid $0.5 million.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife bought the 1,600 acres of land for the lake, which cost $4.1 million. They also paid $300,000 for three boat ramps, parking areas, and docks. In total, the entire project cost almost $8.5 million.
Future Plans
There are plans for more exciting things around Cedar Creek Lake in the future. These include building a marina (a place for boats) and a public beach. We don't know exactly when these will be finished yet.
Lake Facts
- The area that drains into Cedar Creek Lake, called its watershed, is about 14,000 acres. Most of this land is used for farming. About 45% is pastureland, 35% is woodland, and 19% is cropland.
- Cedar Creek Lake has a special "buffer zone" of 300 feet around it. This means there's a wide area of land around the lake where private buildings aren't allowed. This helps protect the lake and its natural beauty.
Lake Facilities
Boat Ramps
- John Sims Boat Ramp: This is the main boat ramp for Cedar Creek Lake. It's located where the old Boone Road used to be before it was covered by water. It's named after John Sims, who was a Lincoln County Judge-Executive and helped start the lake project.
- Old US 150 Boat Ramp: You can find this boat ramp at the end of the old US 150 road on the west side of the lake.
- Cowan Road Boat Ramp: This ramp is located where Cowan Road goes under the water, off Kentucky Route 1770.
Bank Access
- There's a place where you can access the lake from the shore. It's located off a small, moved section of Kentucky Route 1770.
Future Facilities
- Marina: Lincoln County is planning to build a marina, which will be a place where boats can be docked and stored.
- Public Beach: A public beach was built by Lincoln County, but it has been closed since 2012.
Fish in the Lake
Cedar Creek Lake is home to many different kinds of fish. Anglers (people who fish) can find these species here:
Images for kids
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Vardeman-Holmes-Stephenson Cemetery, moved during lake construction
