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Lake Barkley & Kentucky Lake Levels & Conditions
Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Levels & Weather
Current Weather
Murray, KY - Kyle-Oakley Field (KCEY) Last Updated on Nov 18 2019, 6:55 am CST |
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Weather | Air Temp | Wind | Dewpoint | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partly Cloudy |
36° |
West 3 mph |
35° |
29.89" |
Current Lake Levels
Lake levels reported from TVA as of 7 AM 11/18/2019
| Upper Stage | Lower Stage | Water Temp | |
|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky Lake |
354.6' |
302.1' |
51° |
24 Hour Change: |
0.0' |
0.7'▲ |
|
From Normal: |
+0.4' |
+0.1' |
|
Last Hour Discharge: |
35,643 cfs / Average |
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Water Clarity: | Generally Clear |
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Generation Schedule: |
11/18/2019, midnight - midnight - 4 or more generators |
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| Upper Stage | Lower Stage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Lake Barkley |
354.8' |
305.3' |
|
24 Hour Change |
0.0' |
0.5'▲ |
|
From Normal: |
+0.6' |
+3.3' |
|
Last Hour Discharge: | 18,800 cfs / Average |
||
Water Clarity: | Some Stain |
||
Generation Schedule: |
11/18/2019, midnight - 11pm - 2 or more generators |
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| Upper Stage | Lower Stage | Water Temp | |
|---|---|---|---|
Normals |
354.2' |
302.0' |
57° |
Special Lake Information & Notices
Stay safe on the water! Remember to stay in the channels when running the lakes.TVA Lake Level Forecasts
| Forecast | Kentucky Upper | Kentucky Flow | Barkley Upper | Barkley Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today 5:00am | 354.7' | 35,000 cfs | 354.6' | 18,600 cfs |
| 11:00am | 354.7' | 35,000 cfs | 354.7' | 18,600 cfs |
| 5:00pm | 354.7' | 40,000 cfs | 354.6' | 29,430 cfs |
| 11:00pm | 354.7' | 35,000 cfs | 354.5' | 33,000 cfs |
| 11/19 5:00am | 354.7' | 29,000 cfs | 354.5' | 22,500 cfs |
| 11:00am | 354.7' | 37,000 cfs | 354.6' | 29,500 cfs |
| 5:00pm | 354.6' | 41,000 cfs | 354.5' | 29,500 cfs |
| 11:00pm | 354.6' | 37,000 cfs | 354.5' | 17,600 cfs |
| 11/20 5:00am | 354.6' | 29,000 cfs | 354.6' | 22,500 cfs |
| 11:00am | 354.6' | 37,000 cfs | 354.5' | 29,500 cfs |
| 5:00pm | 354.6' | 41,000 cfs | 354.5' | 29,500 cfs |
| 11:00pm | 354.6' | 37,000 cfs | 354.4' | 17,600 cfs |
| 11/21 5:00am | 354.6' | 29,000 cfs | 354.6' | 22,500 cfs |
| 11:00am | 354.6' | 37,000 cfs | 354.5' | 29,500 cfs |
TVA Kentucky Lake Operating Guide
Summer Pool 359.0': May 1 - July 4
Winter Pool 354.0': December 1 - March 31
The gray-shaded area in the chart above shows the target lake stages for Kentucky Lake throughout the course of a year, typically +/- one foot.
Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Records
- Kentucky Lake Record High: 372.49'- 5/04/2011
- Lake Barkley Record High: 372.49' - 5/04/2011
- Kentucky Lake Record Low: 348.02' - 3/11/1961
- Lake Barkley Record Low: 352.3' - 4/19/1982
- Kentucky Lake Record cfs: 446,000 - 1944
- Lake Barkley Record cfs: 303,000 - 5/04/11
- Lake Barkley Lower Record High: 350.8' - 5/04/11
- Kentucky Lake Record High Water Temp: 90.8° - 8/2/11
- Kentucky Lake Record Low Water Temp: 36.2° - 1/12/2010
Explanation of Lake Level Data
Water temperatures are reported from Hancock Biological Station. The water temperature sensor is near the main river channel and is about three feet below the water's surface. Click here for a chart of normal water temps.
Change - this shows the difference in the past 24 hours.
Normal - this shows the departure from normal.
cfs = cubic feet per second, which is the amount of water that is discharged through the dams.
Water Clarity - "stained" means some murkiness or discolor in the lakes. "Normal" means typical clarity, usually 3-4 feet for Kentucky. "Muddy" means no clarity at all.
Lake elevation is based on sea-level. Strength of current is based on the discharge rate at the dams. Kentucky Lake is much larger than Lake Barkley, so 100,000 cfs at Barkley Dam produces stronger current than 100,000 cfs at Kentucky Dam. Below is an unofficial chart to compare discharge strengths.
| Discharge | Kentucky Dam | Barkley Dam |
|---|---|---|
| Below 15,000 cfs | Very Low | Low |
| 15,000-30,000 | Low | Average |
| 30,000-65,000 | Average | Above Average |
| 65,000-100,000 | Above Average | Strong |
| 100,000 to 200,000 | Strong | Very Strong |
| 200,000 to 300,000 | Very Strong | Powerful |
| 300,000 to 400,000 | Powerful | Very Powerful |
| Over 400,000 | Very Powerful | Unprecedented |
Lake elevations and current forecasts are provided in real-time from TVA and the NWS.
The Kentucky Lake Operating Guide is provided by TVA.
