Southeastern Kentucky

Figures released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicate that lowered water levels at Lake Cumberland had little effect on the number of visitors to the area over the Labor Day holiday weekend. According to the Corps of Engineers, 205,000 people visited the lake over the 2007 Labor Day weekend, compared to 218,000 in 2006, a decline of only 5.9 percent. Since the lake had to be lowered earlier this year to allow for repairs to Wolf Creek Dam, businesses dependent on the lake’s strong tourist draw have been battling the perception that the lake has too little water for visitors to enjoy water sports, despite the fact that the lake still ranks as the third-largest in the state and is 75 percent full.