Green River Watershed Study

NEW! Green River Watershed Summit, Feb. 20-21

http://kwalliance.org/feb-20-21-green-river-summit/

 

Green River Watershed Overview:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District is conducting a watershed assessment of the Green River. The assessment is expected to be completed in 2014. Our goal is to provide a water resource management strategy and corresponding methodology for watershed that seeks sustainable water resources management while taking into consideration environmental protection, economic development and social well-being.

Study Area:

The Green River Watershed - with a drainage area of 9,230 square mile - is located in west-central Kentucky with a small portion in north-central Tennessee. The Green River is one of the most significant freshwater aquatic ecosystems in North America. It supports 71 species of freshwater mussels, 151 fish species (as many as Europe), and it is home to Mammoth Cave National Park. Many species present in the Green River are endangered and some occur nowhere else in the world! Topography in the watershed varies from gently rolling in the east to moderately rugged Western Kentucky coalfields region and then into extensive broad and nearly flat alluvial flood plain as the Green joins the Ohio near Henderson, Ky. The social and economic landscape of the watershed is as diverse as the topography with a mix of rural, undeveloped woodland, agriculture and small urban and industrial areas.

Water Resources Problems and Opportunities:

Due to incompatible agricultural practices in the lower watershed and increased recreational pressure and development in the middle and upper portion of watershed, numerous locations in the watershed’s ecosystem are under stress. Initial problems identified throughout the planning process were riparian buffer alteration, agricultural inputs, altered stream flows, sedimentation, inadequate land use planning and municipal water supply.

Conversely, there are also numerous opportunities in the watershed to coordinate conservation efforts and engage the community in order to address these problems and enhance current positive conditions in the basin.

Study Process:

The Green River Watershed Assessment consists of two phases:

Initial Watershed Assessment (IWA) - First, the Corps looks at the watershed’s existing conditions, problems and opportunities, and initiates contacts with stakeholders. This phase results in a short IWA report summarizing the findings and identifying the non-federal partners to cost-share the next phase. Click here to comment on this report.,

Final Watershed Assessment - Next, an-depth analysis of water resources problems and possible solutions with a heavy reliance on stakeholder involvement. It results in Watershed Plan that identifies a variety of measures for implementation to alleviate watershed’s problems in a sustainable and holistic manner.

Get involved! Help us identify what's going wrong and right in the Green River watershed:

Submit Problems and Opportunities
Problems are existing negative conditions in the watershed, while opportunities relate to actions that can be undertaken to solve a problem and achieve desirable future condition.

General Questions and Comments
Email Nathan Moulder, community planner, Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District with general questions or comments.

Initial Watershed Assessment - Nov. 2011