Groundbreaking ceremony for Rough River Dam Safety Modification project marks beginning of work on Phase 2

FALLS OF ROUGH, KY– The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District joined local, state and federal officials July 21 to break ground on Phase 2 of the Rough River Dam Safety Modification project—a critical mega-project with an estimated total project cost of up to $891 million that will repair the high-risk dam and provide permanent flood risk reduction for downstream communities.

“The execution of the Rough River Dam Safety project is a prime example of the Trump Administration’s efforts to refocus the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its core mission set,” said Mr. Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “Not only will this project safeguard the communities that live downstream, it also preserves the infrastructure that contributes to the freedom that you can only enjoy in America. This is 'Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork' in action, as it moves beyond needless paperwork and needless process to deliver a high-priority infrastructure solution for the people of Kentucky.”

The construction contract for Phase 2 was awarded to Thalle-Bauer LLC., out of Hillsborough, North Carolina, in December 2025, and will include construction of a new outlet works and a full-depth cutoff wall across the dam. The work is anticipated to take approximately six to eight years to complete. Phase 2 will involve creating a new outlet works on the left abutment which will consist of a new control tower and stilling basin with a new tunnel connecting the two features.Once completed and operational, the existing tower will be abandoned and the cutoff wall will be constructed across the crest of the dam varying in depth from 75 to 180 feet.The final portion of work will relocate Kentucky State Highway 79 back to the top of the dam.

“This project is about ensuring Rough River Dam continues to safeguard the people and communities who depend on it for generations to come. Rough River is more than a lake—it’s a lifeline for this region, where families make memories, businesses thrive, and communities benefit from the protection this dam provides,” said Brig. Gen. Daniel J. Herlihy, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. “I’m confident we have the right team, the right expertise, and the right partnerships to deliver this important project safely and successfully.”

The project stems from a dam safety evaluation that identified unacceptable risk associated with the foundation of the dam. While initial risk reduction measures were completed in 2017 during Phase 1 of the project, ongoing monitoring has shown that foundation deterioration continues, making this next phase of work critical.

“The work planned in Phase 2 will help to lower the dam’s risk and will ensure that it can continue to provide flood risk reduction benefits and serve the local community for years to come,” said Louisville District Commander Col. L. Reyn Mann. “We saw its value firsthand in the historic floods in spring 2025, and over the last year alone the dam has prevented more than $70 million in flood damages.”

The 5,100-acre Rough River Lake is a premier destination in south-central Kentucky, welcoming 1.6 to 2 million visitors annually for boating, fishing, camping and other outdoor recreation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, jointly manages the lake’s land and water resources. Situated across Breckinridge, Hardin and Grayson counties, the dam is located near the community of Falls of Rough, approximately 20 miles from Leitchfield and 95 miles southwest of Louisville. For more information visit:https://go.mil/rrl-dsmor for regular updates, visithttp://www.facebook.com/RoughRiverLakeUSACE.