Appalachian History Series
What and where
Grayson Lake is a narrow, cliff-lined reservoir on the Little Sandy River in Carter and Elliott counties, Kentucky. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntington District built an earth and random rock-fill dam about seven miles south of the town of Grayson, creating a lake roughly 20 miles long with about 1,510 acres at summer pool. The project area encompasses more than 17,000 acres, with sandstone walls rising 30 to 200 feet above the water in places.
Why it was built
The project was authorized as part of the Flood Control Act of 1960, Public Law 86-645. That statute enabled a slate of federal flood-control works that the Corps subsequently advanced across the Ohio River basin. Grayson Lake appears in the Corps’ own summary as a Section 203 authorization under that Act.
Building the dam
Construction began in 1964 and was completed in January 1968, after which the reservoir filled behind the newly finished structure. The dam stands about 120 feet high and 1,460 feet long, with a broad-crested saddle spillway at the left abutment. The project drains a watershed of approximately 196 square miles.
Federal and state documents line up on the completion date and location. A Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife study of muskellunge streams notes that a Corps flood-control dam at river mile 51.2 formed Grayson Lake in 1968.
Operating the reservoir
Like other federal reservoirs in the region, Grayson is operated under Corps water-control regulations and manuals that govern seasonal targets, flood storage, and downstream releases. Those policies are codified at 33 CFR 222.5 and elaborated in Engineer Regulation 1110-2-240.
The Huntington District’s water-management pages and the national USACE Water Data portal publish current pool elevations, basin summaries, and other operating details for Grayson. These resources reflect the day-to-day adjustments that balance flood-risk reduction, downstream water-quality support, and recreation.
Water supply and public benefits
Although Grayson Lake was built first for flood control, it also supports municipal and industrial water supply. The Corps’ Institute for Water Resources has produced project-level “Value to the Nation” sheets documenting storage and contracts associated with that role.
Shaping the landscape and communities
The impoundment reshaped travel corridors and land use along the Little Sandy. The Kentucky state recreation portal highlights the striking cliff country that ringed the new shoreline after inundation.
Reservoir creation also brought relocations. Local records show graves from the Old Mobley Cemetery were moved in March 1966 because the site would be flooded or otherwise affected by the Grayson project. The National Register listing for the Van Kitchen, or Elijah Horton, House indicates that the historic saddlebag-plan log dwelling was moved in 1967 to a new site overlooking the future lake.
Recreation and the state park
As the lake came online, recreation followed. Contemporary accounts describe lake access coming together soon after closure, and the state established Grayson Lake State Park in 1970 along the west shore. The park and adjacent federal recreation sites provide ramps, trails, and a golf course, with KY 7 crossing the dam.
On the river below
Federal gauges help tell the story of how the project behaves in wet and dry periods. The USGS maintains a station on the Little Sandy immediately below Grayson Dam and another near the lake, adding long-term hydrologic context to the reservoir’s operation. The National Weather Service also publishes downstream river forecasts that incorporate Corps release plans during high water.
Why it matters
Grayson Lake is a mid-century example of the integrated flood-control program that reshaped many Appalachian tributaries of the Ohio River. The project lessened flood risks on the Little Sandy while supporting growing water-supply and recreation needs in Carter and Elliott counties. The cliffy reservoir landscape became a new focal point for local tourism, yet the paper trail of cemetery moves and house relocations reminds us that these public works also displaced earlier patterns of life along the river.
Sources and further reading
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, “Grayson Lake,” project overview with specs, authorization under the Flood Control Act of 1960, dam dimensions, and January 1968 completion. LRD Army Corps
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, “Grayson Lake,” projects directory entry with acreage, setting, and physical description of the lake and cliffs. LRD Army Corps
Public Law 86-645, Flood Control Act of 1960, Statutes at Large text. Congress.gov
USACE ER 1110-2-240 and 33 CFR 222.5, water-control management framework for reservoir operations. Army Corps Publications+1
USACE Huntington District water-management pages for the Little Sandy basin and the Grayson station. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers+1
USACE Water Data portal, project metadata and live pool information for Grayson Lake. Water Data
USACE, Institute for Water Resources, “Value to the Nation” Water Supply project sheets for Grayson Lake. CONTENTdm+1
U.S. Army, “Grayson Lake Celebrates 50 Years,” Huntington District release with construction timeline and drainage area. Army
USGS water-data stations: Little Sandy River below Grayson Dam (03216350) and Grayson Lake near Leon (03216300). USGS Water Data+1
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Muskellunge Streams Investigation in the Little Sandy River, Fish Bulletin 100 1999, which notes a Corps flood-control dam at RM 51.2 forming Grayson Lake in 1968. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife
Corps Lakes Gateway, project recreation portal and contact information. Corps Lakes
Old Mobley Cemetery relocation record, Carter County, noting moves in March 1966 due to the Grayson project. Kykinfolk
National Register of Historic Places, Van Kitchen or Elijah Horton House, noting the house was moved in 1967 to overlook Grayson Lake. Wikipedia
Kentucky State Parks, Grayson Lake State Park portal, context on the park created in 1970. Wikipedia
Art Lander, “Grayson Lake’s rocky cliffs and waterfalls offer varied outdoor experience,” NKyTribune, with concise construction and opening dates and seasonal pool notes. NKyTribune