Kentucky Dam water level — Kentucky
Kentucky Dam in Kentucky was last measured at 2,520,208 acre-ft of storage (no elevation gauge reported), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data).
- Pool elevation
- Not reported
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 2,520,208 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- Not enough data
This station reports storage but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
Recent trend
Not enough recent readings to show a trend.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE LRN/KYDK2-KENTUCKY, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous storage record for this project begins in 2020 .
The dam behind Kentucky Dam
Kentucky Dam is held back by Kentucky Dam (also recorded as Kentucky Lake) , a concrete structure , standing 206 ft high and running 8,422 ft along its crest , built across TENNESSEE RIVER in Livingston County , near CALVERT CITY . It was completed in 1944 , and is owned by TVA (a federal owner) , to a design credited to TVA.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;navigation;recreation;hydroelectric.
It is founded on rock;soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 960 ft wide. Its outlet works use vertical lift.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 160,300 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 7,535,400 acre-ft against a normal storage of 6,127,470 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 775,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY05017 , filed by Tennessee Valley Authority — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barkley Lock and Dam | KY | — | 4 km |
| Barkley Dam | KY | 356.58 ft | 4 km |
| Cairo | IL | 287.96 ft | 79 km |
| Marion | IL | 416.58 ft | 97 km |
| Plumfield | IL | 355.97 ft | 118 km |
| Cheatham Dam and Lake | TN | 385.85 ft | 122 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Kentucky Dam?
- This lake reports storage (2,520,208 acre-ft as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00)) but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
- Is Kentucky Dam full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE LRN/KYDK2-KENTUCKY, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Kentucky
See every lake tracked in Kentucky, or read the methodology behind these figures.