Closing The Gates: The Harlan Flood Control Project

This week's video is on the Harlan Flood Control Project. Closing the gates and testing the readiness of the entire system is a yearly event for the Harlan County Road Department, Harlan County Emergency Management Agency, and the Harlan City Fire Department. They test and close the gates every year in the spring, just before the rains start and the "flood season" begins to make sure everything is in working order. Built originally by the Army Corp of Engineers in the 1990's, the diversion tunnels through Ivy Hill in Harlan, along with a levee system in the towns of Harlan and Loyall were completed as a 3 part process to better combat flooding that had plagued the upper Cumberland river area for generations. Coupled with the building of a flood control dam creating Martins Fork Lake in the early 70's, this completed a system that, so far, has prevented major flooding and damage in the towns of Harlan and Loyall since they were completed. All of us that live here pass by these structures every day, and many of us remember when they were under construction. But how many of us have been able to see them actually closed, or the maintenance that goes into keeping our little town safe from flooding? Well your in luck, because at the Crafty Crow Show, we thought you might like to see how all this works without having to get out of bed at 6 am on a Sunday. So let me try and shake off my coffee buzz this morning to quit typing, and lets go see what it looks like to test the flood wall that protects us from the mighty Cumberland River!