Frankfort, KY (January 24, 2004) -Visitors to the Somerset area for a vacation at Lake Cumberland should have a new ramp to access the lake by this summer. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) broke ground January 10 to build a new ramp on the Fishing Creek arm of Lake Cumberland off KY 1642 (Slate Branch Road) southwest of Somerset.

"This new ramp provides anglers and boaters additional access to Lake Cumberland in the Somerset area," said David Godby, 8^th District Commissioner for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. "Somerset is one of the most popular vacation areas on Lake Cumberland. The ramp is free to the public, built with sportsman’s dollars and provides a great service to the entire region."

Funds to build this ramp are provided through the Sport Fish Restoration Act that places an excise tax on the manufacturers of fishing rods, reels and lures and also sets aside a portion of the tax on motorboat fuel sales.

The KDFWR appropriates roughly $500,000 annually for boat ramp construction and fishing access projects.

The KDFWR often partners with county fiscal courts to build boat ramps. For the new ramp on Lake Cumberland, the Pulaski County Fiscal Court supplied manpower and resources to create one of the two parking areas for this ramp. The KDFWR is building the ramp and another parking area.

The new ramp should be completed by late spring. For more information about the location of boat ramps or fishing access sites, call 1-800-858-1549 and request a copy of "Kentucky’s Fishing and Boating Access Sites" or go to our internet site at http://fw.ky.gov/waterbody.aspx .

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page