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Muddy Creek Watershed
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The Muddy Creek watershed is located in eastern Madison County. It empties into the Kentucky River north of Doylesville. The creek's tributaries include Viny Fork, Hickory Lick, Clear Creek and Dunbar Branch. The Muddy Creek watershed is in the outer subregion of the Bluegrass physiographic region, characterized by undulating terrain, moderate to rapid surface runoff, and moderate rates of groundwater drainage. Land in the watershed is nearly 75% rural and wooded, about 10% each commercial and wooded, and less than 5% residential. Seven businesses and organizations hold permits for pollutant discharges into the creek. Past KRWW data have shown high levels of bacteria indicative of fecal contamination in Eagle Creek (above 200/colonies/ml). The following KRWW sites are located in or near the watershed:
Major Water Quality Issues Muddy Creek is listed as an impaired stream by the Kentucky Division of Water due to pollution from pathogens. Agricultural runoff (i.e., livestock waste) is considered to be the major source of pathogens contributing to this impairment. Local Watershed Activities Many supporting agencies are collectively working toward improvement of the Muddy Creek watershed, including Bluegrass Army Depot, Bluegrass PRIDE, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky River Watershed Watch, TOKICO, Inc., The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local teachers. These groups are focusing on a long-term effort to de-list Muddy Creek as an impaired stream by involving state, federal and private agencies and organizations, public schools, colleges and universities, as well as the local community. Their first step in de-listing Muddy Creek is to inform the public of its current status and the cause and effect of land use activities on stream conditions and stream life. As part of this first step toward the delisting goal, local watershed activists have acquired funding for a Watershed Education Trailer that can be transported to local schools and watershed locations. The instruction equipment contained in the trailer will be available for training educators to involve students in the collection of stream water quality data and assist them in understanding the connection between land use, water quality and stream life. A 2004 grant from the Kentucky River Authority (KRA) enabled the purchase of a living stream aquarium, which will complement equipment already available with the watershed education trailer. A 2005 grant from KRA will allow the purchase of wader boots for water quality sampling and conducting educational and management activities.A proposal has also been submitted Kentucky River Watershed Watch for assistance in conducting intensive fecal sampling in the watershed, which would help pinpoint actual sources of pathogen pollution. If approved, this sampling effort would build on a previous interdisciplinary university-community partnership in which the applicants collaborated with others to characterize the interactions among humans and land-water systems in Muddy Creek. The approach involved three distinct areas of analysis: water quality; land use, and aquatic biology. Each area involved student researchers from Eastern Kentucky University, who participated either as part of a class or as independent study investigators.
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