By Carrie Pond
Murray, KY – US Representative Ed Whitfield has sent a proposed consensus plan to stakeholders involved in an August 29th meeting about when summer water levels should be reduced at Lake Barkley. Meeting Moderator Tom McManamay drafted the proposal, which doesn't delay the draw down's start date, but changes the rate at which the water is reduced. The proposed plan provides an additional 1.3 feet at the start of Labor Day weekend in an attempt to promote recreation and extended dock use. It also seeks to minimize environmental damage by sufficiently lowering the water to create mud flats and expose buck brush. Stakeholders have 30 days to comment before Whitfield submits the proposal to the Army Corps of Engineers and requests an environmental assessment.