There was confusion surrounding the release of water from Dix Dam located between Mercer and Garrard Counties over the weekend.
On Sunday afternoon Carrollton Mayor Robb Adams put out a Facebook Live video saying he had been told by Kentucky Emergency Management that 10 gates at the Dix Dam had been accidentally opened and could not be closed.
He also showed an order from the Deputy Judge Executive for mandatory evacuations for several communities in the area.
This information was met with a response from Franklin County Judge Executive Michael Mueller, who said what was said about the dam was quote- “misinformation” and that the water was released intentionally.
The head of the Woodford County EMA said he spoke with officials with Kentucky Utilities, who operate the Dix Dam, and was told this was a planned release of water and everything was working like it was supposed to.
WEKU has reached out to the Carroll County EMA, as well as the Kentucky EMA for more information, but have not received a response.
Here is the full release from LG&E and KU:
"We want to clarify some incorrect information that was shared today regarding a release at our Dix Dam generating station in Burgin. Reports that 10 gates were inadvertently opened at Dix Dam are inaccurate. On Friday evening, we opened spill gates in a controlled fashion according to our Dam Safety Procedures. Per protocol, a notification was sent out Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. alerting local officials and emergency personnel that a planned release would be beginning in a few hours. The National Weather Service was provided the same notification which was then relayed to the Ohio River Forecast Center to be factored into its river forecasts. For additional context, we only release inflow to Lake Herrington and no additional water into the river—meaning the flow of water is what would normally be in the river under current conditions. Flow into Herrington Lake has since subsided, and we are in the process of closing gates to maintain lake level until the Kentucky River crest subsides. Only 6 gates are currently open, and we are expecting to close additional gates this evening."
KU/LG&E is a financial supporter of WEKU.
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