Project WETWater Education for Teachers

Kentucky Supplement

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Program serve all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, marital or familial status. KYSU-ESS-BUL-0002 March 2016

Project WETWater Education for Teachers

Kentucky Supplement

Graphic Design: Wyvette Williams, Kentucky State University

Maggie MorganJackson Purchase Foundation

Emily HogueKentucky Division of Water

Jennifer Hubbard-SánchezKentucky State University

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SAMPLE BILLNote: This is a sample bill for display purposes only. The rates that appear on your bill are those approved by the KY Public Service Commission.

For Service To: 123 ANYWHERE AVE

FIRSTNAME LASTNAME123 ANYWHERE AVELEXINGTON, KY 40502

1018-999999999999

For Service To: 123 ANYWHERE AVEFor Account: 1018-999999999999

Appendix D: Sample Kentucky Water Bill

Ashley OsborneUniversity of Kentucky

Cover photo: Courtesy of iStockphotos

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Background 4

Part 1 What is a Watershed 4

Why Focus on Watersheds? 6

Part 2 Land and Water Connections 8

Health of a Stream 8

Impervious Cover 8

Karst 10

Wetlands 12

Groundwater 13

Flooding 14

Part 3 Human Impacts on Water 15

Importance of Kentucky’s Waters 15

Water Health 16

Water Use in Kentucky 18

Ideas for Teaching about Water Use 19

Invasive Species in Kentucky 19

Additional Information 20 on Aquatic Invasive Species

Part 4 People, History, and Kentucky’s Rivers 22

Bibliography 26

Appendix A: Activities and Relevant Sections Matrix from the KY WET Supplement

Appendix B: Large Version of Watershed Diagram

Appendix C: Large Version of Kentucky River Basins Map

Appendix D: Sample Water Bill

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Appendix B: Large Version of Watershed Diagram

Appendix C: Large Version of Kentucky River Basins Map

RainSnowPrecipitation

Watershed divide

Percolation PercolationGroundwater

(Aquifer)

Watershed divideTributary

Runo� Flow

The Watershed

Courtesy of the Integrated Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Introduction and BackgroundThe Kentucky Water Supplement is intended to accompany the Project WET Water Education for Teachers guide. The supplement has been designed for educators who are teaching their students about water in Kentucky: watersheds, human impacts on water, Kentucky topography, the history and actual state of water use in the Commonwealth, invasive species, and much more. The goal of this supplement is to provide educators with water-related information specific to Kentucky that can be used in conjunction with the Project WET guide. Wherever possible, links from sections in this document to the activities they will support in Project WET have been made, and specific activities that each section pertains to are listed at the beginning of that section. Throughout this document, you will find words that have been bolded, each of which is defined in the glossary of the Project WET Guide. Additional resources have been suggested throughout the document so that educators may enhance their lessons and design extensions for learning. This publication was created through a partnership between the Jackson Purchase Foundation, the Kentucky Division of Water, and the Cooperative Extension Programs of Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky.

Part 1: What is a Watershed?

This section is intended for use with the following Project WET Activities:

8-4-1, One for All; A-maze-ing Water; Color Me a Watershed; Common Water; Humpty Dumpty; Rainy Day Hike; River Talk; Seeing Watersheds; Sum of the Parts

The term watershed is used to describe all of the land area that drains to a common point, like a river, stream or lake, as well as the humans, animals, plants, rocks, and soils within this area. No matter where on Earth you are, you are always in a watershed. In any given watershed, all of the water that flows over the surface of the land or soaks into the ground within the boundaries of that watershed will move to the same stream or river. The boundaries of the watershed are generally defined by the surrounding high points and ridge lines of the landscape that follow the stream channels and meet at the bottom or lowest point where water flows out of the watershed, the mouth of the stream or river. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. Watersheds also do not follow political boundaries; they cross county, state and even national boundaries (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015).

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Courtesy of the Integrated Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

RainSnowPrecipitation

Watershed divide

Percolation PercolationGroundwater

(Aquifer)

Watershed divideTributary

Runo� Flow

Everyone Lives in a Watershed

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Appendix A: Activities and Relevant Sections Matrix from the KY WET Supplement:

ACTIVITY KENTUCKY WATERSHEDS

LAND AND WATER

CONNECTIONS

KENTUCKY’S WATERS

WATER USE IN

KENTUCKY

INVASIVE SPECIES IN KENTUCKY

HISTORY AND CULTURE OF KENTUCKY’S

WATERWAYS

Back to the Future, p. 307 *

Snow and Tell, p. 387 *

Storm Water, p. 395 * *

My Water Address, p. 433 *

Blue River, p. 135 *

Get the Groundwater Picture, p. 143

*

Just Passing Through, p.163 *

Springing into Action, p.203 *

Wetland Soils in Living Color, p. 217

*

A-maze-ing Water, p.231 * * *

Sum of the Parts, p.283 * *

Invaders, p. 263 *

Color Me a Watershed, p. 239 * *

Common Water, p. 249 * * * *

8-4-1, One for All, p. 299 * * *

Drop in a Bucket, p. 257 * *

Money Down the Drain, p.351

* *

My Water Footprint, p. 441 * *

Reaching Your Limits, p. 371 *

Snapshot in Time, p. 377 *

Super Bowl Surge, p. 405 *

The Long Haul, p. 273 * *

The Pucker Effect, p. 363 *

Urban Waters, p. 413 *

Virtual Water, p. 289 * *

Water Audit, p. 469 * *

Water Quality, p. 421 *

The Price is Right, p. 357 *

Rainy Day Hike, p. 169 *

River Talk, p. 175 *

Seeing Watersheds, p. 187 *

Humpty Dumpty, p. 335 *

Large watersheds, those that are associated with major rivers, are often referred to as basins. These basins are formed when many smaller watersheds join together as streams run into each other (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015). Bee Creek is a small watershed located in Murray, Kentucky.

In Kentucky, there are twelve major river basins that are grouped into seven larger basin management units. All streams in Kentucky eventually either flow into the Ohio River, which flows into the Mississippi River (near Cairo, Illinois), or directly into the Mississippi River in the western portion of the state. The Mississippi eventually dumps into the Gulf of Mexico (near New Orleans, Louisiana). Because smaller watersheds join to form progressively larger watersheds, we are all connected to each other and our actions have the potential to have larger impacts. Actions that affect our water resources in Kentucky eventually impact the water resources of those far downstream us, potentially even the Gulf of Mexico.

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Watersheds don’t follow any type of political boundaries and can vary greatly in size. Image Credit: Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Map showing the major river basins of Kentucky. Image Credit: Kentucky Division of Water

Bee Creek flows into the Clarks River, a larger watershed that spans four counties in the western part of the state. The Clarks River then flows into the Tennessee River near Paducah, an even larger watershed that flows through parts of seven different states before dumping into the Ohio River. Image Credit: Maggie Morgan, Jackson Purchase Foundation

U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/fhw11-ky.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2011). 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). A Watershed Approach. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/approach.cfm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). KY Water Quality Assessment Report. Retrieved from http://ofmpub.epa.gov/waters10/attains_state.control?p_state=KY

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service . (n.d.). Managing Storwater Using Low Impact Development (LID) Techniques.

Whitlock, R. (1999). Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. Jenny Wiley Association Newsletter.

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Why Focus on Watersheds?Watersheds are important because the water resources found within these areas provide water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Many people also enjoy these waters for their beauty and use them for recreation. In addition, wildlife requires healthy watersheds for food, shelter, and survival. Healthy watersheds provide many natural benefits that are necessary for our social and economic well-being, including:

• Lowered drinking water treatment costs• Avoidance of expensive activities needed to fix watershed problems• Continued recreation and tourism opportunities that add dollars to our economy• Reduced effects and damage from natural disasters, such as floods• Increased property values

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than $450 billion in foods, fiber, manufactured goods and tourism depend on clean, healthy watersheds (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). In short, we all live in a watershed, and our daily lives rely on the important services provided by our watersheds, so we must each do our part to protect these areas.

Watershed management is a means of protecting a lake, river, or stream by overseeing the entire watershed that drains into it. Watershed management protects lives, property, and the environment of our communities by reducing the impact of floods and runoff pollution. In Kentucky, runoff pollution is the main threat to our water resources, causing approximately 2/3 of the problems that have been observed in Kentucky streams (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015). As runoff moves across the land surface after precipitation events, it picks up any pollution that is on the land surface and carries it directly to our streams, lakes, and rivers, including sediment, sewage, animal waste, chemicals, oils, and fertilizers. This pollution can come from many different places, including urban areas, failing septic systems, straight pipes, agriculture, forestry, mining, construction sites, etc. Runoff pollution is controlled through the adoption of land management practices, also known as best management practices (BMPs) that treat or reduce runoff before it can reach our streams, lakes, and rivers. BMPs can range from the very simple act of picking up litter along a stream to the more complex system of installing water treatment systems at all developments within a community (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015).

Clayton Creek, KY, Credit: Four Rivers Watershed Watch

One example of a BMP is a vegatated buffer strip. Image Credit: University of Kentucky

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Kentucky Division of Water. (2015). Kentucky’s Water Health Guide. Retrieved August 2015, from http://water.ky.gov/watershed/Documents/Kentucky%27s%20Water%20Health%20Guide%20-%20Online%20Version.pdf

Kentucky Division of Water. (2015). Nonpoint Source Pollution. Retrieved August 2015, from http://water.ky.gov/nsp/Pages/default.aspx

Kentucky Division of Water. (2015). Watershed Management Framework. Retrieved August 2015, from http://water.ky.gov/watershed/Pages/WatershedManagementFramework.aspx

Kentucky Division of Water. (2015). Wetland Program Plan. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Division of Water.

Kentucky Geological Survey. (2014). Water Factsheet. Retrieved from http://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/factsheet_water.pdf

(n.d.). Kentucky Great River Road: The Mississppi River. Retrieved August 24, 2015, from http://www.kygrro.org/home-page/history-of-the-region/the-mississippi-river/.

KY Department for Environmental Protection. (2014). Harmful Algal Blooms: Background Factsheet. Retrieved from http://water.ky.gov/waterquality/Documents/HAB_FACTs/HAB%20Background%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (2008). Kentucky Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan. Retrieved from http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Documents/aquaticnuisancespeciesplan.pdf

Maupin, M., Kenny, J., Hutson, S., Lovelace, J., Barber, N., & Linsey, K. (2014). Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1405

Mead, A. (2015). The Licking River: A 300-mile jorney as a river meanders from mountains to a thriving metropolis. Northern Kentucky Tribune.

New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). The Ohio River. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ohio_River

New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). The Tennessee River. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tennessee_River

(n.d.). Ohio River Central. Retrieved August 24, 2015, from http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Ohio_River?rec=784

Parish, L., & Johnson, C. (1999). Kentucky River Development: The Commonwealth’s Waterway. Louisville, KY: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Project WET Foundation. (2011). Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide.

Project WET Foundation. (2011). Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide.

Tennessee Riverkeeper. (n.d.). Tennessee River History. Retrieved August 24, 2015, from http://www.tennesseeriver.org/riverhistory.html

The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2015, from https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=343. 2009

The watershed management process involves looking at the different characteristics of a watershed and developing plans that enhance, protect, and sustain the water resources within this watershed. Because watersheds can have different sources of pollution and different water health problems, the watershed management process is meant to be a method that can be changed as new information becomes available. This process is most effective when it involves many different partners, including municipalities and government agencies, industries that utilize the water resources such as factories, agriculture, and drinking water treatment plants, private citizens who want to take care of our natural resources, and student groups. We must all partner together to learn the effects our actions have on our water resources and then develop plans that will better protect these resources. Because this approach involves so many different partners in the watershed, it tends to build a sense of community, which helps to ensure long-term success (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015).

In Kentucky, the Watershed Management Branch of the Kentucky Division of Water has a mission of protecting and restoring the beneficial uses of the waters of the Commonwealth by managing water quality and quantity, facilitating stewardship and promoting cooperation among stakeholders. This agency helps to coordinate the watershed management process with different groups across the state using the watershed approach. Through the watershed approach, partners who are interested in protecting or fixing stream or lake problems come together and develop a watershed management plan that identifies the problems and recommends solutions. The partners then work together with additional groups to implement the solutions identified in the watershed management plan (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015).

Basin coordinators play an integral role in the watershed management process and watershed approach, assisting local governments and groups with watershed management activities and local watershed projects. Basin coordinators serve as a contact between the Kentucky Division of Water and concerned citizens, other government offices, universities, and other organizations that work on watershed/basin problems. Basin coordinators provide valuable assistance needed so that the public can understand some of the more technical information available about our rivers, lakes, and streams, including assisting with programs at local schools in their basins. Basin coordinators are also available to help groups develop watershed management plans and to find sources of funding to pay for solutions identified in the plan. For information on water health and programming assistance in your area, contact your local basin coordinator. You can find out who represents your region online at: http://water.ky.gov/watershed/Pages/default.aspx or by calling the KY Division of Water at 502-564-3410.

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Youth protecting their watershed in Calloway County, Image Credit: Four Rivers Watershed Watch

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BibliographyAgouridis, C., & McMaine, J. (2015). AEN-118 Managing Stormwater Using Low Impact Development (LID)

Techniques. Cooperative Extention Service, University of Kentucky. Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/AEN/AEN118/AEN118.pdf

American Rivers. (n.d.). America Runs on the Mississippi River. Retrieved 24 August, 2015, from http://www.americanrivers.org/rivers/fun/america-runs-on-the-mississippi-river/.

Cobb, J. (2009). Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Creek Basins. Kentucky Geological Survey, University of

Kentucky.

Commonwealth of Kentucky. (2013). Hazard Mitigation Plan. Crocker, H. (1976). The Green River of Kentucky. Lexington, KY: The University of Kentucky Press.

Cumberland River Compact. (n.d.). Our Cumberlnad River Basin. Nashville, TN: Cumberland River Compact.

Dahl, T. (1990). Wetland losses in the United States 1780s to 1980s. . Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlfie Service.

Daughters of the American Revolution. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.kentuckydar.org/chaptersites/saltriver.html.

Johnson, T. (1991). Wetlands-Status and trends in the conterminous United States, mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

KDOW. (n.d.). Water Health Guide. Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection. (2015). Harmful algal bloom recreation advisory issued for

Ohio River, tributaries. Retrieved from https://kydep.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/harmful-algal-bloom-recreation-advisory-issued-for-ohio-river-tributaries/

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (2008). KY Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (2013). Kentucky’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation

Strategy. Retrieved from http://fw.ky.gov/WAP/Pages/Default.aspx

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (2014). Wildlife: Reptiles. Retrieved from http://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Reptiles-and-Amphibians.aspx

Kentucky Division of Water. (2009). Floodplain Management in Kentucky Quick Guide. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky

Division of Water.

Kentucky Division of Water. (2013). Executive Summary of the Integrated Report to Congress on the Condition of Water Resources in KY, 2012. Retrieved from http://water.ky.gov/waterquality/Integrated%20Reports/2012%20IR%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

Kentucky Division of Water. (2013). Integrated Report to Congress on the Condition of Water Resources in Kentucky,

2012. Frankfort, KY : KY Division of Water.

Part 2: Land and Water ConnectionThis section is intended for use with the following Project WET Activities:

A-maze-ing Water; Back to the Future; Blue River; Get the Ground Water Picture; Just Passing Through; My Water Address, Take Action!; Snow and Tell; Springing into Action; Storm Water; Sum of the Parts; Wetland Soils in Living Color.

Health of a StreamThe health of a stream is directly connected to the land in the watershed. The way the land is being used and what is on the land each have a direct impact on water quality. Whether the land is covered with natural vegetation or with man-made structures will have an impact on the flow of runoff and the pollution it picks up as it moves. Stormwater is the resulting surface water that occurs during or after snow or rainstorms.

Impervious Cover

If rain falls on an urban or suburban area, up to 70-85% will flow across hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways, parking lots, packed-down soils and roadways before entering a stream. As the water flows across these impervious surfaces, those surfaces that water cannot penetrate, it is likely to pick-up pollution like sediment, nutrients, and bacteria. Now, compare that journey to the water that flows across a heavily forested area. Due to the vegetation in the forest, more water would soak into the ground. The water that runs directly into the stream would accumulate less pollution along the way.

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In urbanized watersheds, infiltration and evapo-transpiration decrease while runoff increases. Credit: Agouridis and McMaine, University of Kentucky

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the Ohio River remains an important transportation corridor, carrying cargoes of oil, steel, grace, petroleum products, and manufactured goods (New World Encyclopedia). The Mississippi River drains a small portion of land in far Western Kentucky, forming the western most border of the state with Missouri. At 2,430 miles, the Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri. The Mighty Mississippi has always been an important part of our culture, from the Native American tribes that relied on the river for transportation, drinking water, and food, to the development of navigation on the river in the early 1800s that remains an important use of the river today (American Rivers). Agriculture has been the dominant land use in the Mississippi River Basin for nearly 200 years, with 92% of the nation’s agricultural exports coming from this region (Kentucky Great River Road: The Mississppi River).

The Ohio River at Sunset, Credit: Jackson Purchase Foundation

Not only does urbanization impact water quality, it also directly affects the amount and rate at which runoff reaches a stream. Prior to development, most rainfall soaked directly into the ground. Relatively little runoff reached the streams, and the amount that did required longer travel time. Following development, more runoff is produced as impervious areas allow little rainfall to soak into the ground. Downspouts, curbs, gutters and pipes quickly transport stormwater to streams. The combination of more runoff and faster delivery of this runoff means water levels rise quickly and stream slopes become steep (Agouridis & McMaine, 2015).

Lower Pigeon Creek, Pike County, Image Credit: Kentucky Division of Water

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Town Branch, Fayette County, Image Credit: NPR

records and archaeological evidence attest that humans have traveled this artery of civilization for as long as they have lived in Kentucky (Parish & Johnson, 1999).

The Green River Basin cuts a wide east-west path from the Appalachian foothills to the western Kentucky coal-fields. The southwest bank of the river attracted Revolutionary War veterans from Virginia and North Carolina claiming the land as military pay, while the northeast bank was often settled by westward moving Kentuckians or Pennsylvanians. During the Civil War, the Green River separated the forces of the North and South, and valley loyalties were so divided that both armies blocked local river trade for security purposes (Crocker, 1976). The Green River is one of the biological diverse tributaries of the Ohio River, however to control flooding the Green River Dam was built in 1969. The dam altered flow regimes but a multiple partner initiative has brought together stakeholders and returned the flow to more natural conditions. The Salt River Basin is located in North Central Kentucky, and the Salt River runs from Danville in Central Kentucky flowing to West Point where it meets the Ohio. Salt, which was a precious commodity in pioneer days, was shipped in barrels down the Salt, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans (Daughters of the American Revolution, 2014), and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, by way of flatboats. Bullitt’s Lick, a historic salt lick in Bullitt County, was the first commercial supplier of salt in Kentucky, and the first industry in the state. The Salt River received its name for its part in the shipping network.

The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River, at approximately 652 miles, and is located in the southeastern United States (New World Encyclopedia). During the Civil War, the Tennessee River was a key target for Union soldiers with many major battles fought along the river, including the battle at Shiloh, Tennessee, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War with more than 23,000 American soldiers losing their lives (Tennessee Riverkeeper). The Tennessee River has been dammed numerous times, primarily as part of the New Deal to help financial recovery after the Great Depression. This resulted in the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power company (New World Encyclopedia).

The Ohio River makes up the northern border of Kentucky with Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before ultimately emptying into the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois. The Ohio River Basin has played an important role in transportation since the early days of settlement. In the early 1800s, the Ohio became an important commercial route for Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, allowing farmers and manufacturers to send crops and finished products on flatboats and barges to the Mississippi River and eventually New Orleans (Ohio River Central). Today,

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Barge on the Tennessee River, Credit: Vicki Boatright

The Old Salt River Bride, Taylorsville, Credit: Kentucky Digital Library

In many communities, the polluted stormwater runoff is transported through a system of conveyances like storm drains, pipes, and ditches. It is subsequently discharged untreated into local creeks and streams. These systems are known as Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, commonly called MS4s. To prevent pollution from entering the MS4, operators must obtain a permit from the Kentucky Division of Water and develop a stormwater management program. Some MS4 communities have developed a fee program to provide funding for projects to improve water quality and help resolve water quantity issues.

KarstKarst describes a landscape that has sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs, as well as other features formed by slowly dissolving bedrock, such as limestone or dolomite. Precipitation infiltrates into the soil and flows into the subsurface from higher elevations and generally toward a stream at a lower elevation. Weak acids found naturally in rain slowly dissolve the tiny fractures in the soluble bedrock, enlarging the joints. Following storms, droughts, and changes in land use, new sinkholes can form suddenly, collapsing to swallow buildings, roads, and anything else built on the surface.

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MS4’s in Kentucky, Credit: Maggie Morgan

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into the city of Piketown, known today as Pikeville (Whitlock, 1999). Over 2 billion tons of coal has been mined from the basin. Coal was one commodity that was transported on the river (Cobb, 2009). The narrow alluvial valleys of the Little Sandy and Tygarts Creek Basins provide limited level land for homes and agriculture in the mountainous area. In the region, less than 5 percent of the land is tillable. Due to the limited amounts of suitable land, construction occurring in the valleys must ensure that the living spaces are above the flood levels (Cobb, 2009).

The Cumberland River, named in honor of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, begins its 688-mile

journey in Harlan, Kentucky, in the Upper Cumberland River Basin and flows throughout southeastern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee and then curves back into western Kentucky. The Upper Cumberland was home to the Shawnee before the early European Settlers discovered the Cumberland Gap. The Upper Cumberland River basin is a heavily forested, Appalachian landscape whose abundant natural resources, including timber and coal, fueled the industrial growth of our nation (Cumberland River Compact).

The Lower Cumberland River is navigable year round, and winds

from Nashville, Tennessee, to Smithland, Kentucky, where it drains into the Ohio River. As early as the 1800s, the Lower Cumberland was important to the shipping and transportation industry, with keelboats and other craft transporting tobacco and cotton from Nashville down to New Orleans (The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture). Land use in the Lower Cumberland Basin is mainly agricultural, with this region containing more cropland than the rest of the Cumberland River Basin. The Lower Cumberland Basin includes an abundance of protected areas, including the majority of the 170,000 acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (Cumberland River Compact). The Kentucky River rises on the western slope of the Appalachians, cuts through the towering palisades across central Kentucky, and emerges through the hills of the Commonwealth’s capital before entering the Ohio River midway between Cincinnati and Louisville (Parish & Johnson, 1999). The Kentucky River Basin encompasses most of thirty-three counties and the river supplies water to about twenty percent of the state’s population. The oldest

The Licking River, Credit: Kentucky Digital Library

Steamer landing in Morgantown, Credit: Kentucky Digital Library

Kentucky is one of the most famous karst areas in the world. Much of the state’s beautiful scenery, particularly the horse farms of the Inner Bluegrass, is the result of development of karst landscape. The bedrock is millions of years old, and the karst terrain formed on them is hundreds of thousands of years old. In humid climates such as Kentucky’s, it can be assumed that all limestone has karst development, although that development may not be visible at the surface (Kentucky Geological Survey, 2014). The largest karst landscape in Kentucky exists in the Green River basin, which includes Mammoth Cave (Kentucky Division of Water, 2013).

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In June, 2014, a 40-foot-wide, 60-foot deep sinkhole opened at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, swallowing eight cars valued at more than one million dollars. Image Credit: Michael Noble Jr./The Associated Press

Map of karst in Kentucky, Credit: Kentucky Geological Survey

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Part 4: People, History, and Kentucky’s RiversThis section is intended for use with the Color Me a Watershed and Common Water activities from the Project WET guide.

All of the rivers of Kentucky ultimately surrender to the mighty Mississippi before their final roll out to the Gulf of Mexico. From the mountains of eastern Kentucky to the mysterious depths of Mammoth Cave, the waters of our state not only etch their legacy on our landscape but on all of our stories as well.

Each major river basin in Kentucky has an interwoven tale; so following the flowing water leads us directly to our story. Looking at each river basin we will explore this connection between water and the people of our state.

The Licking River begins its 300-mile journey through the Eastern Bluegrass region to the Ohio River as a bubbling spring in Magoffin County. The early explorer Thomas Walker who came to the Kentucky wilderness through the Cumberland Gap in 1750 is often cited as the first European to discover the Licking. However, Walker found Native Americans already living at the site, a place called Elk Lick (Mead, 2015). The Licking River and a number of sites along its meandering path are named for the mineral springs and salt licks that attracted buffalo and other animals. The Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Creek Basins make up 7,600 miles of streams flowing through 14 of Kentucky’s easternmost counties. The Big Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers received their name from the extensive sand bars found in the rivers. The Big Sandy extends from the town of Louisa, Kentucky, in Lawrence County to Catlettsburg, Kentucky, in Boyd County and forms part of the boundary between West Virginia and Kentucky along its entire course. Beginning in 1837, the Big Sandy was found to be navigable to steam boats as far as Louisa, and within a few years these craft were venturing up the river as far as Paintsville, Prestonsburg, and finally

Paddlers on the Licking River, Credit: Kentucky Digital Library

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WetlandsIt has been estimated that Kentucky has lost about 81% of its original 1.5 million acres of wetlands, putting it into the top 10 states with the most wetland acreage by percent lost (Dahl, 1990). The 1981 National Wetland Inventory (the most recent for Kentucky) reported approximately 300,000 acres remaining, or 1.2% of Kentucky’s total acreage (Johnson, 1991). Fifty-five percent of all rare and endangered species in Kentucky are either located in or dependent upon wetland areas (KGS, 1997). Kentucky has lost its historical wetland areas through fill, drainage, and transformation due to agriculture, urbanization, transportation, logging, and other commercial uses.

Kentucky’s remaining wetlands vary throughout the state in composition and size. Most of the state’s wetlands are classified as palustrine forested wetlands and are associated with streams and reservoirs (Johnson, 1991). The largest acreage of wetlands occurs in western Kentucky, along the Mississippi and lower Ohio rivers. The far western areas along the Mississippi are part of the avian Mississippi flyway and provide important wintering waterfowl habitat. These wetlands are typically bottomland forests dominated by water-tolerant oaks, tupelo, and cypress. Some are associated with Special Use Waters, which are rivers, streams, or lakes that receive special protection (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015). In Kentucky, Reelfoot Lake, Murphy’s Pond, Obion Creek, Swan Pond, and Bayou de Chien are designated as Special Use Waters. Moving eastward, the remainder of Kentucky’s wetlands are smaller in acreage and vary from bottomland hardwoods to emergent wetlands, including the less common vernal pools, seeps, flat hardwoods, large river sloughs, and plugged sinkholes (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015).

Henry County pond, Image Credit: Kentucky State University

Fish

Mollusks

Algae

Mammals

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COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis

Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus

Snakehead Channa sp. or Parachanna sp.

Round goby Neogobius melanostomus

Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha

Asian clam Corbicula fluminea

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAMEZebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha

Asian clam Corbicula fluminea

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAMERock snot Didymosphenia geminata

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAMENutria Myocastor coypus

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GroundwaterGroundwater is water that is contained in a subsurface layer of soil or rock. There are many sources that replenish the supply of groundwater, including rain that soaks into the ground, rivers that disappear underground, and melting snow. Because of the many sources of recharge, groundwater may contain any or all of the pollution found in surface water as well as the dissolved minerals it picks up underground. However, groundwater commonly contains less pollution than surface water because the rock tends to act as a filter. Groundwater that contains dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium above certain levels is considered “hard water.”

In Kentucky, where rocks and minerals such as limestone, gypsum, fluorspar, magnesium, and pyrite are common, well water is usually very high in calcium content, and therefore considered “hard” (Kentucky Geological Survey, 2014). Roughly 900,000 Kentuckians depend on groundwater for domestic water supply. Kentuckians use about 205 million gallons of groundwater per day (Kentucky Geological Survey, 2014).

Water Wells in Kentucky in 2014, Image Credit: Kentucky Division of Water

Special Use Waters are designated by Kentucky as streams and lakes that have unique characteristics and are in need of additional protection. This can include:

• Reference reach waters, which are a representative subpopulation of the least impacted streams within a bioregion

• Cold water aquatic habitat that support native wildlife that require cooler water temperatures

• Exceptional waters that have the high quality of water that is necessary for fish, shellfish and wildlife to reproduce and supports recreation in and on the water

• Wild rivers that have extraordinary beauty and clean water

• Outstanding state resource waters that have unique features worthy of legal protection

• Outstanding national resource waters that have natural or recreational importance on a national level

• Federal wild rivers that don’t have dams, developed watersheds or shorelines and can only be reached by trail

• Federal scenic rivers that don’t have dams, developed watersheds or shorelines and can be reached by roads in some places

• Federal recreational rivers that can be reached by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that may have been dammed or re-routed in the past

Source: The Kentucky Division of Water’s Water Health Guide

Zebra MusselsZebra mussels are an example of an aquatic invasive species that are affecting Kentucky’s waterbodies. Zebra mussels have been found in several rivers and lakes in the state, including the Ohio River, Barkley Lake, Dewey Lake, and Kentucky Lake (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2008). Zebra mussels can negatively affect the food web in a water body and, because of their ability to attach to solid surfaces, can clog pipes and the workings of dams and diversions (Project WET Foundation, 2011). In addition, in Kentucky, zebra mussels compete with native mussels for food and habitat (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2008). For additional information, see the Invaders! Activity in the Project WET guide, as well as the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources factsheet at http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Documents/zebramussels.pdf. For further learning, view Silent Invaders! Zebra Mussels (2013) on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abImqGDzXBo. For additional resources related to native mussels, see KET: Mussels of the Licking River (2013) on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CneiYgGAcI.

Additional Information on Aquatic Invasive Species The lists below include established or potential aquatic invasive/nuisance species for Kentucky. These lists are continually changing as new aquatic invasive species invade Kentucky.

Plants

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COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME

Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum

Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria

Brazilian watermilfoil Myriophyllum aquaticum

Common reed Phragmities australis

Curly pondweed Potamogeton crispus

Japanese stiltgrass Microstegium vimineum

Reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea

Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum

Alligator weed Alternanthera philoxeroides

Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes

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FloodingUndeveloped floodplains can serve natural and beneficial functions. They store floodwater and stormwater, enhance water quality by filtering runoff through wetlands and removing many types of pollution, offer habitats for plants and animals, sustain biological productivity, reduce erosion and sediment runoff, and offer recreation opportunities (Kentucky Division of Water, 2009). However, building in the floodplain can be both costly and deadly. Many people don’t understand the risk; there is a 26% chance that a structure built in the floodplain will flood during a 30-year mortgage period (Commonwealth of Kentucky, 2013). Modernized flood maps have been created to identify areas that are likely to flood. The flood maps for a community should be available for review at the local county courthouse, city hall, local planning and zoning or city/county engineer office (Kentucky Division of Water, 2015). Copies of flood maps are also available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Map Service Center and can be found here: https://msc.fema.gov/portal.

Flooding is one of the most significant natural hazards in Kentucky. Flooding occurs in the state every year, with several substantial floods occurring annually. Since 2010, four Presidential disaster declarations have been made for the Commonwealth, all of which have included flooding. Approximately 300 Kentucky communities have identified flood-prone areas; and for many communities the economic, social, and physical damage caused by flooding can be severe. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the second-most common natural hazard in Kentucky is flooding, which occurs once every 6.5 days on average. Data from Kentucky’s 2013 Enhanced Mitigation Plan indicates that since 1960, there have been 670 deaths and 154 injuries due to flooding. The total losses from this period are $2,301,445,697, with the annual average loss equaling $43,434,504 (Commonwealth of Kentucky, 2013).

Flooding in Paducah, 2015, Credit: City of Paducah

Flooding of the Mississippi River in January, 2016, taken from the Earth Observatory, Credit: NASA

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Ideas for Teaching about Water Use A sample water bill provided by Kentucky American Water can be used to discuss water usage and the cost of water (including water service charge, water usage charge, withdrawal fee, and associated taxes.). The sample bill can be used to do a comparison of tap water cost versus bottle water cost, comparison of water usage over a 12-month period using the graph provided on the sample bill, and discussion of importance of water conservation (e.g., saving water saves energy, saving water better prepares us for drought and water shortages, saving water can save money). A copy of the sample bill can be found in the appendices section of this supplement.

Invasive Species in Kentucky To use with the following Project WET Activities: Invaders

This section provides examples of aquatic invasive species that are problematic in Kentucky, specifically purple loosestrife, silver carp, and zebra mussels. In addition, a list of aquatic invasive plants, fish, mussels, algae, and mammals is provided.

Purple Loosestrife Purple loosestrife is an example of an aquatic invasive species that has been found in several Kentucky counties, including counties that border the Ohio River, Fayette County, Martin County, and counties along the Red River. The plant, when established, can outcompete and replace higher quality native plants that provide food and habitat for Kentucky wildlife (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2008). For additional information see: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources factsheet at http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Documents/purpleloosestrife.pdf.

Silver Carp Silver carp (also referred to as Asian carp) are an aquatic invasive species that are found in several of Kentucky’s waterbodies and neighboring rivers, including the lower Cumberland River, part of the Green River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, lower Tennessee River, and Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Silver carp negatively affect many of Kentucky’s native fish and mussel populations by competing with them for food and habitat. Silver carp can also damage commercial fishing nets due to their size. In addition, when disturbed silver carp jump out of the water and have injured boaters and fisherman in the past (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2008). The YouTube video Carp Madness (link below) provides information on how silver carp have affected the livelihood of local commercial fisherman. For additional information: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Carp Factsheet found at: http://www.asiancarp.us/documents/FWSAsianCarp.pdf and Asian Carp Response in the Midwest educator resources found at: http://www.asiancarp.us/handouts.htm. Also see the Carp Madness Commercial Fishing Tournament (2013), on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYJd-7iQb8.

Silver Carp, Credit: Neal Jackson, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Part 3: Human Impacts on WaterThis section is intended for use with the following Project WET Activities:

8-4-1, One for All; A-maze-ing Water; Common Water; Drop in a Bucket; Money Down the Drain; My Water Footprint; Reaching Your Limits; Snapshot in Time; Storm Water; Super Bowl Surge; The Long Haul; The Pucker Effect; Urban Waters; Virtual Water; Water Audit; Water Quality.

Importance of Kentucky’s WatersThe health and quality of Kentucky’s waterbodies play an important role in our state’s social, economic, and environmental well-being. Kentucky receives approximately 49 inches of precipitation each year (Kentucky Geological Survey, 2014), has over 91,000 miles of streams (Kentucky Division of Water, 2013), and has over 225,000 acres of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency., 2015).

In Kentucky, approximately 4,300 million gallons of water are used each day by many different industries and sectors (Table 1) (Maupin, et al., 2014).

Table 1. Water withdrawn in Kentucky by water use, 2010

PURPOSE AMOUNT OF WATER (MGAL/D*)Aquaculture 34.1Domestic 33.2Industrial 228Irrigation 29Livestock 43.8Mining 30.8Public Supply 572Thermoelectric Power 3360Total 4330.9

Mgal/d = Million gallons per day

The many waterbodies of Kentucky are extremely important to wildlife. Kentucky has one of the most diverse fish and mussel populations in the U.S. In addition, all 20 frog species, and 25 of the 35 salamander species in Kentucky require water for breeding, and of Kentucky’s 14 turtle species, all but one are aquatic, leaving the water only to migrate to other waterbodies or lay their eggs (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2013; Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 2014). Kentucky’s waters also provide recreation for anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers. A survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Interior reported that 1.7 million people fished, hunted, or viewed wildlife in Kentucky in 2011. That same survey stated that $2.9 billion were spent in Kentucky on wildlife-related recreation in 2011 (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2011).

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Fishing Big Head Carp, Credit: Neal Jackson, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

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Water Use in KentuckyThis section is intended for use with the following Project WET Activities: 8-4-1, One for All; Common Water; Drop in a Bucket; Money Down the Drain; My Water Footprint; The Long Haul; The Price is Right; Virtual Water; Water Audit.

In 2010, approximately 4,330 million gallons of water were withdrawn per day (mgal/d) in Kentucky. Approximately 95% was provided from surface water sources (e.g., streams, rivers, and reservoirs) and 5% from groundwater sources (e.g., drinking water wells) (Maupin, et al., 2014).

“Public supply” is water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers that distribute water to a minimum of 25 people or that have no less than 15 connections. Public supply water is used for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes, public services (e.g., pools, parks, firefighting, water and wastewater treatment, and municipal buildings) and system losses (e.g., leaks). In addition to domestic water being supplied by a public or private water supplier, domestic water can also be self-supplied, such as from a private well or cistern that captures rainwater. Domestic use includes indoor residence use (e.g., drinking, food preparation, washing clothes, and flushing toilets) and outdoor residence use (watering lawns and gardens, and washing vehicles). Of the 572 mgal/d of water withdrawn for public supply, 257 mgal/d of that was withdrawn for domestic use. Thus, in 2010, total water withdrawn for domestic use in Kentucky was approximately 290 mgal/d, or 67 gallons per person per day (Figure 1) (Maupin, et al., 2014).

Figure 1: Total domestic water use in Kentucky in 2010, Maupin, et al., 2014

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Chestnut Creek, Marshall County, Credit: Ray Stainfield, Friends of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge

By 2012, 222,497 acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds were assessed, with 41% deemed as impaired (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). Methylmercury (organic form of mercury), mercury in fish tissue, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and nutrients were the top four causes of impairment. Examples of potential sources include atmospheric deposition, discharge from industrial and municipal sources, and natural sources (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency., 2015).

Do you want to learn

more about water health in

Kentucky?

Visit the Kentucky Water Health

Portal at

http://watermaps.ky.gov/

WaterHealthPortal/.Harmful Algal Blooms, Image Credit: Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection

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Water HealthEvery two years the Kentucky Division of Water completes a report assessing the health and quality of water for certain rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds in the state. By 2012, 11,806 miles of rivers and streams had been assessed, with 66.8% deemed impaired (unhealthy) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency., 2015). An impaired stream is a stream that is too polluted to meet Kentucky Division of Water’s water quality standards and that stream’s designated use (e.g., fishable, swimmable, and/or cold water habitat). Sediment, pathogens (fecal coliform and E.coli), and nutrients were the top causes of impairment for streams and rivers (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency., 2015). • Sediment is a result of soil erosion which can

be caused by urban and agricultural runoff, construction sites, stream bank erosion, and areas of bare soil with no vegetation. By clouding the water, sediment can negatively affect the aquatic life that lives in those polluted streams.

• Pathogens come from human and animal waste in the water, and can be caused by failing septic systems, pet waste, livestock operations, and wildlife, and can result in illness.

• Excess nutrients can also be a result of human and animal waste, in addition to fertilizers and yard waste. Too many nutrients in a waterbody can result in eutrophication. Eutrophication is a process that causes a surplus of algae growth. As the algae die and sink to the bottom of the waterbody, microorganisms eat away at the decomposing algae and use up increased amounts of dissolved oxygen. This can result in the death of other aquatic organisms (e.g., fish) due to decreased amounts of dissolved oxygen available in the waterbody.

Harmful algal blooms made national news in August 2014 when roughly half-a-million people were without water in Toledo, Ohio, for several days because of the algae. In Kentucky, a harmful algal bloom advisory was issued for a portion of the Ohio River and Little Sandy River in September of 2015 (Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, 2015). Harmful algal blooms (also referred to as blue-green algae) are cyanobacteria that occur naturally in surface waterbodies. Cyanobacteria produce toxins that can cause serious health problems (e.g., skin irritation, respiratory distress, and neurological impairment) for people and animals, and in extreme cases may cause death. Factors that contribute to their growth include sunlight, slow-moving or still water, and nutrients. Excess nutrients resulting from human activities (e.g., fertilizers, yard waste, failing septic systems, livestock operations, and pet waste) can intensify the problem (Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, 2014). In addition to portions of the Ohio River, harmful algal blooms have been confirmed at several lakes in Kentucky. For more information visit the Kentucky Division of Water’s website on harmful algal blooms at http://water.ky.gov/waterquality/pages/HABS.aspx.

Sewage fills Chestnut Creek in Marshall County, Credit: Friends of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge

Advisory area for Harmful Algal Blooms in Kentucky, Image Credit: Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection