Williamstown Lake

Williamstown Lake
Williamstown Lake
Location	Grant County, Kentucky
Coordinates	38°40′20″N 84°31′40″W / 38.67222°N 84.52778°W / 38.67222; -84.52778Coordinates: 38°40′20″N 84°31′40″W / 38.67222°N 84.52778°W / 38.67222; -84.52778
Type	reservoir
Primary outflows	South Fork Grassy Creek
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	300 acres (1.2 km2)
Average depth	21 ft (6 m)
Max. depth	70 ft (21 m)
Surface elevation	785 feet (239 m)

Williamstown Lake is a public 333-acre (1.35 km²) recreational lake and water reservoir in Grant County, Kentucky. It was created in 1955 by impounding the South Fork of Grassy Creek in order to supply the community with water as the existing reservoir, now the centerpiece of nearby JB Miller Park was unable to keep up with demand. Excavation and original opening was overseen and initially managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and original documentation denied the placement of "any permanent private boat dock". The lake officially opened for boating, fishing and swimming in 1957 by utilizing one access point adjacent the City of Dry Ridge and one adjacent to the City of Williamstown. With more than 365 surface acres of water, just over 7 miles from end to end and 28 miles of shoreline, the lake has attracted well over 300 summer cottages and year-round homes which line nearly every available plot the lake.

The lake is owned and operated by the City of Williamstown as they are charged with maintaining the structural source of the lake which is the Dam and Spillway located at the Eastern end. The city is the only entity legally allowed to remove and sell water from the lake to surrounding communities.
There are two main boat ramps available for launch: The Williamstown Marina is a public access point with a modest launch fee which has fuel, a small convenience store and a seasonal restaurant and another now known as Lemon's Landing which is subscription based with no public parking.

Major issues surrounding Williamstown Lake include the continuous overdevelopment of local properties, often concerning but closely monitored levels of sewage in the water due to improperly installed and "grandfathered" systems that are incapable of handling the new developments and additions, the Williamstown Lake Expansion Project and nearby development of the Ark Encounter attraction. The Expansion Project has stalled for more than three decades due to crossing over into an adjacent county and the/is projected to triple the size of the lake in order to increase the supply of safe water in the surrounding areas but issues remain in water ownership and distribution rights. Regarding the Ark Encounter Williamstown Lake property owners worry how this major attraction will affect the lake's water levels as they fail to understand supply, demand and rainfall.

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References[]

External links[]

• "Williamstown Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-04.

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