07/31/2025
This is one of the saddest things I’ve heard in the last 15 years. So sorry this is so heavily affected your business Paul, we will miss you here on the Kentucky river.😞
After 10 years of bringing guests from Madison IN to Frankfort KY I have no choice but to cancel the 155 mile 2 day Kentucky River Adventures for 2025 due to incompetence and failure of leadership of the Kentucky River Authority. In April an historic flood hit the Kentucky River. During that flood the Kentucky River Authority and their Executive Director, Jennie Wolfe failed to evacuate the vital equipment needed to operate the four locks connecting the Ohio River to Frankfort. The daily river forecasts indicated that this was going to be a major flood. Campgrounds and businesses along the river saw the forecasts, took action and evacuated but the KRA did not. This was gross incompetence and negligence of the KRA and Jennie Wolfe. Because of that failure the equipment to operate 3 of the 4 locks was destroyed or damaged. Since that time the KRA has failed to come up with or communicate a timely or effective plan to reopen the locks. As of right now only lock 4 in Frankfort Kentucky is operational. I offered to help in the reopening of the locks by paying for and manufacturing the needed equipment to open the lock gates manually (as they have been done for the majority of the time the locks have existed) and to provide the needed manpower at no cost to the KRA to help the current lockmasters. Those offers were rejected by the KRA and Jennie Wolfe. At this point I have lost all confidence in the KRA leadership. I have no confidence that the KRA can get the locks reopened in a timely manner and operate them consistently and safely with their inexperienced, shorthanded crew of lock masters. Until that trust is rebuilt I will not operate on the Kentucky River. The economic fall out of the locks being closed is significant to my business since these tours have been sold out since last March but also the Capital Plaza Hotel, 3 Peas in a Pod Catering, Kentucky River Campground, Rebecca Ruth Chocolate, Buffalo Trace, Ace’s Store in Lockport KY, downtown Frankfort restaurants, Frankfort Farmers Market, Frankfort Boat Club etc. The worst part of this is that it was 100% preventable. All KRA had to do was move the equipment to high ground. If they had asked for help I would have had volunteers and trucks at the locks within an hour. In times of crisis some rise to the occasion and others sink to the level of their incompetence. Unfortunately, KRA and Jennie Wolfe did the latter.
Capt Paul Nicholson
Rockin Thunder River Tours
