What would happen if Center Hill Lake became a karst sink? (Martin: apartments, subdivisions)

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

The sinkhole would have to be big enough to support the entire flow capacity of a large river and low enough to stop the river from flowing through the dam. I also suppose the big spring would come out either in South Carthage or along the lower Cumberland, so the river wouldn't be restored later on except maybe a brief part near the mouth.

Of course, Putnam County and DeKalb County would lose their current water supplies if the water level fell below MSL+618ft. Where would they get their water from instead?

Missing links could be fixed. Would the last part of Austin Bottom Road be extended to the river, bridged across and further extended to S.R. 56?

Would the midsized creeks like Long Branch and Wolf Creek be able to create an aboveground flow in the old riverbed downstream? If not, would Big Indian Creek be able to do it? Smith Fork? What would the resulting smaller river be named?

What would happen to Canoe the Caney? Would they relocate to above the sinkhole/endorheic lake, relocate to Smith Fork, relocate to Big Indian Creek, be able to operate in the old riverbed or end up stopping altogether?

What would become of the exposed lakebed? Would it be able to reforest itself on the probably-now-rocky hillsides and ridges, and if so, what would end up growing there?

Would larger streams like Falling Water River, Pine Creek and Mine Lick Creek be able to have aboveground flow in their former low valleys, or has the lake already disrupted the water table too much for them to be alone?

What would happen to our area's economy as a result? Would it cause Silver Point to become more like Buffalo Valley while Granville possibly flourished even more? Would we see an exodus from the subdivisions and apartments overlooking the lake, and if so, where would those people go?

What about the trout fishery that exists in the lower Caney Fork River? Would it be moved to Big Indian Creek, moved to Martin Creek, moved to both or completely done away with? They can't survive in warm water.

How far from Carthage would the river's end at least live on as a once-subtle arm of Old Hickory Lake?

Would parts of Edgar Evins State Park remain open without the lake (e.g. the observation tower, hiking trails), or would it close?

It's scary to think that the dam is in a karst area, the lake 195ft deep and the area still being worked on. Dam failure isn't the only risk; a massive sinkhole could open up and not only drain most of the lake but stop the river from flowing past the dam, too. This has haunted me for a long time, and I still wonder how the Upper Cumberland Region would fare if the lake became a karst endorheic basin as well as what'd happen geographically/biologically.

[OneDawg]

Could have. Might have.
What would have happened IF the dam had not been built in the first place?