Laurel River Lake is a key project in the development of the Cumberland River Basin. The lake is located in southeastern Kentucky, encompassing portions of Laurel and Whitley Counties. The Laurel Dam rises 282 feet above the stream bed. The combination earth and rock fill dam is 1,420 feet long with a hydroelectric power generating plant.
At normal summer pool (Elevation 1015) the 19.2-mile long lake with its 206 miles of shoreline contains 5,600 surface areas of water.
Average annual energy output is 67 million kilowatt hours.