Area marina operators and lake watchers are expecting last week's recession of Lake Cumberland to syphon tourists into the region this summer.

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began lowering water levels at the lake - the largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River - out of concerns a potential dam breach could flood portions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Normally, the lake accounts for 50,000 acres, but it's now at 35,000, according to Chris Gilligan, spokesman for Kentucky's Commerce Cabinet.

A meeting, attended by cabinet secretary George Ward and fish and wildlife officials, was held Wednesday in Somerset to discuss how the state might be able to alleviate the impact on marina operators.

“A lot of folks were lamenting (the situation),” Gilligan said.

However, he stressed that Lake Cumberland is still open for business and still 10 times larger than Taylorsville Lake, where one Louisville television station had advised fishermen to go in the wake of Cumberland's reduction.

Still, others think the recess will inevitably reel more tourists to other state lakes when the weather warms up.

Don Alexander, a park ranger at Barren River Lake, thinks the majority of Cumberland's river traffic could flow to Dale Hollow Lake. But he also foresees more tourism at Barren River and Nolin River lakes, although he said it's hard to make projections due to summer gas prices and other factors.

“We do believe we will pick up some of their visitation, and that's fine. We've got plenty of recreational opportunities around (Barren River Lake),” Alexander said. “Maybe we'll get some permanent customers out of this.”

Summer pool at Barren River Lake is 10,000 acres, and campgrounds can be reserved through the National Reservation Recreation System, he said.

“They have every opportunity to reserve spots on the lake,” Alexander added.

Marty Craycroft, owner of Peninsula Marina at Barren River Lake, said she's seen an increase in boat-slip inquiries, but her marina is now at “pretty much full capacity” - 235 boat slips.

“We have some other open slips available, (but) not any covered slips to accommodate house boats,” Craycroft said.

William Funk, an avid Cumberland Lake fisherman from Bowling Green, said the situation is unprecedented and expects tourism to decline.

Last summer, Cumberland had plenty of fish; they'll now be concentrated in a much smaller area, he said.

“The places we used to fish are going to be high and dry. I think Cumberland will hold its own or have more fishermen,” Funk said.

David Hardin, who operates Moutardier Resort at Nolin River Lake, had a different take.

Access to Lake Cumberland for boaters will be limited, he said, as some of the marinas there are located on coves, not near deeper waters.

“It should definitely bring people to our lake,” Hardin said.

Coincidentally, Moutardier Resort recently added 28 12-by-30-foot covered boat slips because it was full last year. He said the marina can accommodate 20-by-80-foot house boats and has lifts to handle power boats.

He said he can sympathize with operators at Cumberland Lake, remembering instances where repairs at other state lakes necessitated water pool reductions.

“It's not something to be taken lightly because it can happen to any lake at any time,” Hardin said.

David Treadway, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers' Nashville office, which oversees Cumberland Lake, said all of the lake's marina operators were notified midweek about the dam repairs.

“They were aware that we always reserved this option,” he said.

The Wolf Creek Dam at Cumberland Lake isn't in imminent danger of failing, he said, but the measure is needed to keep people safe downstream. The corps is prepared to leave Cumberland at 680 feet above sea level - its normal resting point is 10 feet higher.

The dam was built in 1950; the repairs will help the dam last another 50 years, Treadway said, declining to estimate when repairs would be completed.