Save Otter Lake

Save Otter Lake Purpose of page is awareness. Like any editorial, opinions expressed on this page are not universal.

Otter Lake has been a local favorite since the 1960s, with many of Hopkins County residents fondly reminiscing about their weekends spent along its banks where swimming and music festivals were a regular occurrence. Now better known for the beautiful sunsets, vast wildlife, fishing and kayaking enjoyed by residents and the public, the lake's future is in jeopardy. The lake and dam were never deede

d to subdivision property owners, but an association with an annual fee of $10 was set up to help assist with minor cost associated with maintaining the areas around the lake and dam. With a county road crossing over the dam, the Hopkins County Fiscal Court has a long history of maintaining the road and the portions of the dam and spillway located within the county road right-of-way. The court has also made verbal and written promises to residents and the state regarding its responsibility to repair the dam. A lack of maintenance and substandard repairs along with inaccurate reporting about the condition of an emergency drawdown valve has been a source for complaint and more recently, has been referenced in violation notices issued by the state's Energy and Environmental Cabinet (EEC). These costly repairs are not the sole responsibility of the property association, nor do they fall within its scope or ability to correct. Due to a lack of progress in settling these issues, the state has filed a lawsuit against the fiscal court as well as the property association and two owners with property near the dam or spillway. Please join us in supporting the lake and contesting the claims of the state and county.

Thank you to the neighbors that were able to attend the meeting yesterday. In a unanimous vote, it was decided to procee...
03/05/2026

Thank you to the neighbors that were able to attend the meeting yesterday.
In a unanimous vote, it was decided to proceed forward with the open spillway and closure of the road over the dam. This is the path of least resistance to save the lake. We still need your help! We are accepting donations AND pledges for future donations. Please visit our website at otterlakeconservation.org or you can email [email protected] to make a pledge!

The neighborhood meeting has been relocated due to predicted rain on Tuesday. Plan to meet at the same date & time, but...
03/02/2026

The neighborhood meeting has been relocated due to predicted rain on Tuesday. Plan to meet at the same date & time, but at the 911 Billing Service office at 1320 Island Ford Road. The meeting will be in the Training Room/Shop located at the rear of the parking lot. Please share with affected neighbors.

Update 02.21.26After meeting with the county and engineering, there are 3 potential paths forward for the lake.1. Build ...
02/21/2026

Update 02.21.26

After meeting with the county and engineering, there are 3 potential paths forward for the lake.
1. Build an open spillway and close the road over the dam. This is the least expensive option and will save the lake. We still need to contribute $100,000 to this project to move forward. The obvious downside is the lack of access across the dam. Police, ambulances, fire trucks, and school buses will have a longer route to get to north side of Otter Lake Loop and Rainbow Lane. This could especially be problematic with winter weather on those hills.
2. Replace the spillway way with 2 large box culverts. This is a more expensive repair. The positive of this solution is that the road across the dam can remain in place. The downside is that the lake, once allowed to fill back up, will be about 2 feet lower than it used to be at normal levels. For this solution, we need to contribute $150,000.
3. Nothing happens. The lake and the road across the dam goes away. Everyone's property values goes down and we have a huge eyesore in our backyard. A 70+ year old Hopkins County treasure disappears forever. This is what could happen without continued financial help from our neighbors and community.

The lake is going to be lowered further to place an elbow pipe on the valve to maintain the drawdown at 10 feet (See previous post).

We have $20,000 raised for the repairs. We are still a long way off from where we need to be. The deadline for repair completion is June 30th.

A pamphlet will be going out to neighbors and a neighborhood meeting scheduled for further discussion.

Please contact [email protected] if you would like to pledge a donation. Let's Save Otter Lake!!

Help save Otter Lake in Hanson, Kentucky. The dam needs urgent repair to protect this 70-year-old fishing and boating destination.

02/18/2026

Update 2.17.26

The new engineering design submitted to the State, as mentioned in our November post, has been DENIED by the Cabinet's engineer. We are back to the drawing board. The bridge system to accommodate the large culvert and maintain the road across the dam remains out of budget. Meetings are scheduled to format a new path forward. There is a possibility that the road over the dam may have to be permanently closed in order to save Otter Lake. Alternate routes have been explored (connecting Rainbow Lane to Shakerag), but it seems unlikely to get approval from stakeholders. We are also actively engaging other State officials for guidance and aid.

More information will be forthcoming as discussions continue.

Address

Otter Lake Loop
Hanson, KY
42413

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