Businesses fight new marina at Lake Cumberland

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A group of marina owners who are worried a new proposed marina site on Lake Cumberland could further hurt their business are asking a federal judge to block the proposal.

The group says a new marina on the south-central Kentucky lake is not needed because its existing ones are already hurting or even shutting down.

Tourism on the traditionally popular recreational lake has been hampered by the lowering of water levels in 2007 to ease pressure on Wolf Creek Dam while it undergoes massive repairs and reinforcing.

The Lake Cumberland Association sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday and asked a judge to keep the agency from allowing a new marina site to be leased in Russell County.

Bill Jasper, who owns two marinas on the lake, said the proposal should be delayed until the lake levels are restored and businesses have a chance to recover.

"It just seems counterintuitive that this would be the appropriate time to add a marina on the lake," said Jasper, who is a member of the association that filed the suit.