See the 2004-05 Appalachian Heritage Alliance Grant Final Report

Focus Watershed: Red River of the Kentucky River

The Appalachian Heritage Alliance received two separate watershed grants-one to conduct solid waste clean-up events and another to provide hands-on watershed education for Powell County High School students.

Watershed residents have been removing trash from sections of the Red River through a purely volunteer effort. The KRA Watershed Grant will enable them to conduct a larger-scale volunteer effort that will cover about 30 miles of the Red River in Wolfe and Powell Counties. It is hoped that the three separate clean-up events planned for the spring of 2005 will increase interest in the quality of the Red River and foster appreciation of this natural resource. Further, the rafts purchased through this grant will be available for future clean-ups in the Red River and other waterbodies in the Kentucky River basin.

The Appalachian Heritage Alliance also received funding to enlist water professionals to provide classroom and field presentations to Powell County High School students. They will learn about a broad overview of the Red River watershed (geology, historical facts, drinking water source protection, agricultural and recreational impacts, etc.); water chemistry and habitat assessment; aquatic macroinvertebrates; and the life history and biological importance of native mussel species. Additionally, students will sample two different stream sections within the watershed-one designated as high-quality, another impacted by a past chemical spill-and contrast these two streams. Following these educational activities, students will present their findings and experiences to local community groups and students in neighboring counties.