Green River Crests But Levels Won't Return to Normal Soon: Local Water and Lake Officials Discuss Flooding Issues

State of Emergency Declared in Edmonson County

Aerial view of the Green River Bridge at Brownsville looking north on April 7, 2025.

Darren Doyle, story, photos, and video:
Green River has finally crested and levels are going back down but experts say the excessive water amounts from the recent flood will hang around for a while.

Brownsville officially received just over one foot of rain between Thursday, April 3rd and Sunday, April 6th, resulting in the worst local flooding since 2011. While impacts from the recent February flooding were severe, Green River rose to levels approximately 8 feet higher yesterday than February floods.

Green River rose nearly 50 feet in about three days as heavy rains drenched Edmonson and the surrounding counties but Edmonson County Water District General Manager Kevin Shaw said it on its way back down, albeit very slowly.

Earlier today, Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey declared a state of emergency in Edmonson County. This basically cuts through any red tape that could possibly hold up efforts in getting things back to normal.

Multiple state and county roads were closed throughout the event, with several closures still in place today. The good news is, the local water supply hasn't yet been in danger and Nolin Dam is doing the job exactly for which it was designed.

Some good news is that the flooding hasn't really impacted the Edmonson County Water District in a negative way, according to ECWD General Manager Kevin Shaw.

"So far, the biggest affect for us is simply a matter of inconvenience. The road out to the water treatment plant is underwater, which is causing us to have to use ATVs through the backwoods to get there, but it could be lots worse."

He said there have been no issues at the treatment plant itself and thankfully no issues with power.

"This event affected water in four or five states," Shaw said. "Most people don't think about it, but the Ohio River cresting will affect how fast our river goes down, and it (the Ohio) may not crest for two or three more days."

He said it's possible that the local intake might see some negative affects from extended sand and silt, but he was also hopeful that the intake area becomes larger.

"It's possible that the hole around the intake washed out a little bigger," Shaw said. "So far, so good here."

Nolin River Lake Manager Deryck Rodgers said that while the lake pool is currently sitting at it's third highest level in lake history, the lake is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. The biggest flood happened in 2011 with a similar event happening in 2010.

"This kind of water is all about what we do," Rodgers said. "Our primary function here is providing a downstream flood-risk management benefit. The whole purpose that the lake was constructed was part of a comprehensive plan to reduce flooding damages in the Ohio River basin. Part of the Green River project was to build these four dams, the Nolin, Barren, Green, and the Rough River Dams. We operate these dams as a system to control flooding on the Green and the lower Ohio."

Rodgers said when they hold the water back as they are now, it's never a fun time but it's exactly what they were designed to do and he said the Corps of Engineers is proud to be part of providing that benefit to the local community.

The entire spillway basin is currently underwater, but that's all backed up from the Nolin River and Dismal Creek. No water is currently being let out of the lake. You can see in the video above where the muddy waters of the creek meet with the dark green waters of the Nolin, which creates a line across the water.

Rodgers said there are no concerns with the lake at this time and that from an operational and safety perspective, everything is good.

"A lot of our time has been spent not only at the dam but also out in the recreation facilities on the water," he said. "We've got marinas, the state lodge, and a lot of other people working, trying to take care of business right now so we can continue serving the public when summer comes around."