SUMMARY REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................... 1

1.1 Overview..................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Study area..................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Sample data and collection dates.................................................................. 14

1.4 Baseflow conditions.................................................................................... 14

Chapter 2: Data Collection and Analysis............................................................ 26

2.1 Physical/Chemical Field Data....................................................................... 26

2.2 Herbicide Indicators.................................................................................... 33

2.3 Herbicide Samples....................................................................................... 34

2.4 Bacteriological Indicators............................................................................. 36

2.4.1 Total Coliforms................................................................................ 36

2.4.2 Atypical Coliforms........................................................................... 37

2.4.3 AC/TC Ratio................................................................................... 37

2.4.4 Fecal coliform.................................................................................. 37

2.5 Bacteriological Sampling.............................................................................. 38

2.5.1 Synoptic Fecal Coliform.................................................................. 38

2.5.2 Follow-Up Fecal Coliform............................................................... 38

2.6 Physical/Chemical Sampling......................................................................... 53

2.7 Nutrients..................................................................................................... 59

2.8 Nutrient Sampling........................................................................................ 60

2.9 Metals Data................................................................................................. 67

Chapter 3: Executive Summary......................................................................... 75

Chapter 4: Focused Sampling for Fecal Coliform............................................... 77

4.1 Eagle Creek Watershed............................................................................... 77

4.2 Middle Fork Kentucky River Headwaters Watershed.................................. 82

4.2 North Fork Kentucky River......................................................................... 87

References.............................................................................................................. 95

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1 2004 Kentucky River Watershed Watch Sampling Sites.................... 8

Table 1.2 Basinwide Sampling Data and Collection Dates............................... 14

Table 1.3 Types and Number of Samples at Sampling Sites............................ 15

Table 2.1 Physical/Chemical Field Data.......................................................... 27

Table 2.2 Herbicide Sampling Results.............................................................. 34

Table 2.3 Synoptic Fecal Coliform Sampling Results....................................... 41

(by station identification number)

Table 2.4 Synoptic Fecal Coliform Sampling Results....................................... 45

(by concentration level)

Table 2.5 Follow-Up Fecal Coliform Sampling Results................................... 49

Table 2.6 Data Separation by AC/TC Ratio.................................................... 38

Table 2.7 Chemical Sampling Results.............................................................. 54

Table 2.8 Nutrient Sampling Results............................................................... 59

Table 2.9 Metals Sampling Results................................................................. 67

Table 2.10 Stations with Highest Metals Concentrations.................................... 72

Table 4.1 Eagle Creek Focused Sampling – Fecal Results................................ 78

Table 4.2 Leslie County Focused Sampling – Fecal Results.............................. 83

Table 4.3 Leslie County Focused Sampling Results.......................................... 84

Table 4.4 Upper North Fork Focused Sampling – Fecal Results...................... 89

Table 4.5 Upper North Fork Focused Sampling Results.................................. 93

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Kentucky River Basin........................................................................ 2

Figure 1.2 Kentucky River Basin and Sub-Basins............................................... 3

Figure 1.3 Kentucky River Lower Basin............................................................. 4

Figure 1.4 Kentucky River Middle Basin............................................................ 5

Figure 1.5 Kentucky River Upper Basin............................................................. 6

Figure 1.6 Kentucky River Watershed Watch Monitoring Sites........................... 7

Figure 1.7 Kentucky River USGS Gaging Stations............................................ 22

Figure 1.8 North Fork Kentucky River............................................................. 23

Figure 1.9 Middle Fork Kentucky River........................................................... 23

Figure 1.10 South Fork Kentucky River............................................................. 24

Figure 1.11 Lock and Dam #10......................................................................... 24

Figure 1.12 Lock and Dam #2........................................................................... 25

Figure 2.1 Herbicide Sampling Locations.......................................................... 35

Figure 2.2 Kentucky River Basin Synoptic Fecal Coliform Counts..................... 39

Figure 2.3 Follow-Up Fecal Sampling Locations............................................... 40

Figure 2.4 Physical/Chemical Sampling Locations............................................. 53

Figure 2.5 Kentucky River Basin Nitrate Concentrations > 10 mg/L.................. 62

Figure 2.6 Kentucky River Basin Phosphorus Sites > 1.0 mg/L......................... 63

Figure 2.7 Kentucky River Basin Sulfate Sites > 250 mg/L................................ 64

Figure 2.8 Kentucky River Basin Metal Sampling Locations.............................. 66

Figure 4.1 Eagle Creek Focused Sampling Sites............................................... 77

Figure 4.2 Leslie County Focused Sampling Sites............................................. 82

Figure 4.3 Letcher County Focused Sampling Sites........................................... 88

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

This report documents the results of the 2004 Kentucky River Watershed Watch sampling effort, which was supported by a grant from the Kentucky River Authority, Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Bluegrass PRIDE, Virginia Environmental Endowment, and Brown Forman and Bluegrass PRIDE. Results from previous years sampling can be found at www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KRWW.

The Kentucky River Watershed Watch is a volunteer organization affiliated with the Kentucky Waterways Alliance with the following goals:

1. To provide current data on general water quality conditions to local stream based organizations working to protect their watershed.

2. To provide widespread screening for potential water quality problems to resource management agencies.

3. To provide auxiliary information to assist resource management agencies in meeting specific operational and management objectives.

4. To identify specific impacts to water quality through targeted observations and measurements.

The sampling effort was conducted so as to be consistent with the scientific study plan developed by the Kentucky River Watershed Watch scientific advisory board which describes the monitoring objectives, methods, parameters, quality assurance, and data management. A copy of the plan and the associated QAPP for fecal analysis can be accessed through: www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KRWW. Detailed sampling results for 2004 are posted on the project web site at http://nrepcapps.ky.gov/watch/management/ key.htm. All files associated with the Kentucky River basin begin with the letter “k.”

1.2 Study Area

The Kentucky River Watershed Watch sampling effort was conducted at 184 different sites across the Kentucky River Basin. The Kentucky River Basin extends over much of the central and eastern portions of the state and is home to approximately 710,000 Kentuckians. The watershed includes all or part of 42 counties and drains over 7,000 square miles with a tributary network of more than 15,000 miles. A map of the watershed with the associated counties is shown in Figure 1.1. For the purpose of watershed management, the River Basin has been subdivided into smaller sub-basins and watersheds using the USGS Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) classification system. A map showing the 8-digit subbasins is shown in Figure 1.2. A more detailed description of the 11-digit HUC watersheds is provided in Figures 1.3-1.5. An index of the 184 sampling sites is provided in Figure 1.6 and Table 1.1.