Kentucky River Authority Watershed Grants

Low-Head Dam Study
Recipient: Clarks Run Environmental and Educational Corporation (CREEC)
Focus Watershed: Clarks Run (Boyle County)
Project Description: Investigation of feasibility to remove two low-head dams and potential for subsequent stream restoration of Danville segment of Clarks Run.

Red River Festivals
Recipient: Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Focus Watershed: Red River (Powell, Wolfe and Menifee Counties)
Project Description: Plan to hold festivals in 2021 and 2022 in conjunction with a paddling race on the Red River.

Septic Education and Tank Pumpouts
Recipient: Red Bird Mission
Focus Watershed: Middle Fork, Goose Creek, Red Bird River (Clay, Leslie and Bell Counties)
Project Description: Will provide informational workshops about maintaining household septic systems. Participants are eligible to receive a free system pumpout.

Junior Water Explorer Festivals
Recipient: Bluegrass Greensource
Focus Watershed: Hanging Fork and Clarks Run (Boyle and Lincoln Counties)
Project Description: Two one-day Junior Water Explorer events will be held, one in each of the focus watersheds. These events will be geared toward K-2nd grades and will include the painting of storm drain murals

Educational Trail and Signage
Recipient: City of Stanford
Focus Watershed: St. Asaph's Creek and Buffalo Springs Creek (Lincoln County)
Project Description: An interpretive trail will be installed along the historic Buffalo Springs trail, which will be used by local school groups and community visitors.

Kentucky River School Curriculum & Art Project
Recipient: Kentucky Riverkeeper
Focus Watershed: Kentucky River Basin
Project Description: The Kentucky River keeper will continue developing K-12 curriculum to teach about the river and water topics.

Organization Start-Up and Community Event
Recipient: Hickman Creek Conservancy
Focus Watershed: West Hickman Creek (Fayette County)
Project Description: This newly formed organization developed a website and promotional materials and held a stream walk and cleanup event.

Stream Buffer Enhancement and Plantings
Recipient: AdventureServe Ministries
Focus Watershed: Town Creek of Jessamine Creek (Jessamine County)
Project Description: See project video here!

Boat Ramp Construction
Recipient: Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Focus Watershed: Red River (Powell County)
Project Description: KWA worked with several local and state entities to install a new boat and kayak ramp on the Red River.

Raingarden and Water Education Display
Recipient: Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington Parks Department
Focus Watershed: Raven Run (Fayette County)
Project Description: Raven Run staff created water-related curriculum for youth visitors to the park and installed a rain garden to capture and treat runoff from the park's visitors center.

Kentucky River School Curriculum & Art Project
Recipient: Kentucky Riverkeeper
Focus Watershed: Kentucky River Basin
Project Description: The Kentucky Riverkeeper worked with partners to develop multi-media classroom curriculum about the Kentucky River and water issues in general. An outcome of the project will be related artwork that will contribute to the graphic design for the annual Kentucky River Sweep cleanup t-shirt.

Stream Buffer Plantings and Associated Educational Signage
Recipient: City of Hustonville
Focus Watershed: Hanging Fork Creek (Lincoln County)
Description: The city planted streambank vegetation to create a stream buffer along a tributary of Hanging Fork that runs through a public park. Accompanying signage explains the benefits of stream buffers and encourages visitors to enhance buffers along streams flowing through their properties.

Septic Education and Tank Pumpouts
Recipient: Red Bird Mission
Focus Watershed: Red Bird River, Middle Fork Kentucky River, Goose Creek (Clay/Leslie/Bell Counties)
Description: Red Bird Mission worked with Eastern Kentucky Pride to provide education about the function and proper maintenance of household septic systems. In exchange for attending the workshop, interested homeowners could apply for free (grant-funded) septic tank pumpouts.

Water Sampling, Stream Clean-Up, Community Education
Recipient: City of Hindman
Focus Watershed: Troublesome Creek, Knott County
Project Description: Hindman and the Knott County Extension Office conducted stream cleanups, provided canoe outings for children, and conducted water quality testing.

Rain Barrel Workshop, Community Outreach & Education and Water Testing
Recipient: Henry County Middle School
Focus Watershed: Town Creek and Drennon Creek
Project Description: Provided water education to students, along with field trips to conduct water testing. Students led a rain barrel construction workshop for the community.