Big Business At Lake Cumberland

A lot of people are spending the holiday weekend on Lake Cumberland, where the water level is back to where it should be after being lowered several years ago while repairs were made to a dam on the lake.

J.D. Hamilton of Lee’s Ford Resort and Marina said he’s seen an increase in more than just water.

"It’s like Goldie Locks, the water’s just right," said Hamilton.

It’s Fourth of July weekend, and it’s been eight years since he said he’s seen his boat slips this full.  He only has one 100-foot slip left, and all of his cottages are rented.

He attributed it to the water being close to normal in his part of Lake Cumberland.

$800 million repairs to Wolf Creek Dam began in 2007 that lowered the lake from 80 feet to a low point of 36 feet. 

"Everything to our left was dry.  Now all these boats are coming," said Hamilton.

Since Lake Cumberland’s comeback, Hamilton’s sales have grown 20 percent.  He’s added a pizza shop and added more staff. 

Now that the water is deep enough, he added The Blop–a platform above an inflatable cushion that will bounce people into the water.

What Hamilton estimated as an $8 million loss over seven years has certainly turned around.

"Cumberland’s back baby," said Hamilton.