Laurel River water level — Kentucky

Kentucky · USACE · reading Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00)

Laurel River in Kentucky was last measured at 1,019.94 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (−0.1 ft).

Current reading Laurel River · Kentucky
Pool elevation
1,019.94 ft

Datum NGVD29. (Why datum matters →)

% of conservation pool full
Not reported
Storage
Not reported
Recent trend
→Steady

−0.1 ft over the trend window

Recent trend

Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-day window — downsampled for display.

1020.0ft1019.9ftJun 2 – Jun 7

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).

Not for navigation or safety decisions (why →)

Source: USACE LRN/CBNK2-LaurelR-CorbinKY, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →

About this gauge's record

USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 2012 .

The dam behind Laurel River

Laurel River is held back by Corbin Reservoir Dam (also recorded as Corbin Reservoir) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 50 ft high and running 420 ft along its crest , built across LAUREL RIVER in Laurel County , near CORBIN . It was completed in 1950 , and is owned by CITY OF CORBIN (a local government owner) , to a design credited to ALFRED LEFEBER AND ASSOCIATES, CINCINNATI OH..

Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall .

Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 180 ft wide.

NID classes it significant hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage property and infrastructure rather than cost lives. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 10/31/2025.

At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 139 acres. It is regulated by KY Division of Water.

Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY00119 , filed by Kentucky — 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 →)

How Laurel River compares nearby

2 of 5 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady right now.

Nearby lakes

The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.

Lakes nearest to Laurel River, with current level and distance.
Lake State Level Distance
Laurel Dam KY 13 km
Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn KY 782.23 ft 71 km
Trace Branch at Trace Branch Campground at Confluence KY 782.77 ft 74 km
Martins Fork Lake KY 1,309.83 ft 81 km
Wolf Creek Dam KY 703.70 ft 92 km
Carr Creek Lake KY 1,028.03 ft 101 km

Frequently asked questions

What is the current water level of Laurel River?
As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 1,019.94 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
Is Laurel River 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/CBNK2-LaurelR-CorbinKY, 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.