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Scuba refuge opening this weekend at Greenbo Lake

 Area averages 25 feet deep, will continue to be used for training

GREENUP, Ky. (July 15, 2013) — Greenbo Lake State Resort Park will open its newest adventure tourism attraction – an area for scuba diving in Greenbo Lake – during a special opening ceremony Saturday, July 20.

Divers prepare to enter the water at the scuba refuge at Greenbo Lake.
Divers prepare to enter the water at the scuba refuge at Greenbo Lake.

The 10-acre scuba refuge will allow divers to use the lake April through October and other designated times from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Divers will register and pay a daily fee of $12. Safety guidelines have been established to warn boat traffic to stay away from the area while divers are present.

“We look forward to hosting scuba divers and special events at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park,” said Parks Commissioner Elaine Walker. “This is a unique attraction for our park system and will showcase Greenbo Lake to our guests.”

Walker and other local and state officials are scheduled to participate in a ribbon-cutting event at 11 a.m. behind the park lodge on the lake.

The lake had been used for cold water survival and rescue training programs during the past three years by Marathon Petroleum and McCulley, Eastham & Associates, a safety consulting firm based in Greenup. The scuba area, which averages about 25 feet deep, will continue to be used for lessons and training by various companies and organizations.

Divers will have to be open-water certified or higher to use the area, or be accompanied by an instructor with the appropriate certification.

“The friends group is very excited to see this attraction open at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park,” said Bobby Allen, the president of the Friends of Greenbo and executive director of Greenup County Tourism. “We are confident that the scuba refuge will attract new visitors and outdoor enthusiasts to our beautiful state park.”

The scuba refuge at Greenbo Lake.
The scuba refuge at Greenbo Lake.

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is on KY 1, 18 miles north of Interstate 64 from the Grayson exit, or 8 miles south of U.S. 23, the Country Music Highway. Greenbo Lake State Resort Park features the Jesse Stuart Lodge, with 36 rooms, convention center and Anglers’ Cove Restaurant. The park has a 225-acre lake for boating and fishing, tennis courts and 25 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The campground is open April 1 through Oct. 31. There are also campsites for campers with horses. Greenbo’s amphitheater features musical concerts and plays during the summer and fall.

For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov For information about adventure tourism opportunities in Kentucky, visit www.kyadventuretourism.com.