All across Kentucky, we have many streams
that flow into larger bodies of water, a central feature
in Kentucky’s landscape. In fact, these streams and
their surrounding lands represent some of America’s
most valuable natural, cultural, and historical resources.
They provide us with more than 100 kinds of fish
native to our waters. And they provide recreational
opportunities, like swimming and boating, on the streams
and rivers for Kentucky’s population of more than
4 million people.
So, What’s the problem?
The land surrounding a stream drains
water into the stream, and the groundwater that flows to
our streams. This land is called a watershed.
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Every bit
of land is part of one watershed or another. And, every time
it storms, pollutants from a variety of our activities can
be washed from the land into our streams, or into the groundwater
that eventually flows into our streams. According to the Kentucky
Division of Water, many of Kentucky’s assessed streams
and rivers are polluted to the point where they can no longer
support swimming and fishing.
What
if our healthy streams were gone?
The truth is, this problem is no longer someone else’s;
it belongs to each and every one of us. We must each take
responsibility for keeping our streams healthy—for
now and for future generations.
Many volunteers are working to restore
and preserve our streams: the 40-county PRIDE
program organizes clean-up activities and provides funding
for wastewater treatment; Kentucky
Watershed Watch volunteers monitor the quality of streams; Kentucky
Waterways Alliance protects and restores Kentucky's
waterways and their watersheds.
Find your watershed! And learn what's going on—for your children's sake.
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