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Red River Watershed
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The Red River Gorge (Upper) watershed extends from northern Wolfe County, across southern Menifee County, to northeastern Powell County. This watershed includes the section of the Red River from just west of Hazel Green to the junction of the Red River with the Middle Fork Red River near Bowen. Among the creeks that feed the Red River in this watershed are Big Branch, Swift Camp Creek, Clifty Creek, Gladie Creek, Wolfpen Creek, Chimney Top Creek, Leatherwood Fork, Indian Creek, Spaas Creek and Short Creek. Water also flows into the watershed from the Stillwater Creek and Red River headwater watersheds. The land is in the escarpment and plateau areas of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field physiographic region, characterized by rolling to hilly terrain, medium to very rapid surface runoff, and slow to medium groundwater drainage. The watershed is underlain by coals, sandstones, and shales; this geology is generally conducive to productive wells, although water quality may be low for wells that draw from coal layers. Land in the watershed is mainly rural and wooded; about 15% is agricultural. The surface waters of the watershed supply the drinking water for the Campton municipal system. Nine businesses and organizations hold permits for discharges to the creeks. Past KRWW data have shown high levels of bacteria indicative of fecal contamination in the Red River (above 200/colonies/ml). The following KRWW sites are located in or near the watershed:
Major Water Quality Issues The Red River Gorge watershed is largely wooded, with much of it managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and its streams are mainly in good condition relative to the rest of the basin. Yet, illegal dumping, the loss of streamside vegetation, erosion, and runoff from towns, fields, mines and mills are a concern in many places in the drainage, and pathogens in several creeks threaten public health. The 1998 303(d) report listed Red River as non-supporting of its swimming use due to pathogen contamination. The draft 2004 report delists the river from this impairment. However, it notes that the River will continue to be monitored for this impairment due to citizen monitoring reports of high pathogen levels. The Red River Gorge Watershed is listed as a priority watershed under the Kentucky Watershed Management Framework. The watershed ranked high in the protection category of the framework prioritization formula and includes the Red River Gorge Geological Area, the Clifty Wilderness, and parts of the Red River designated as an outstanding national resource water, a state wild river, a federal wild river, and a federal scenic river. The watershed ranked in the medium group for potential and observed impacts. As of 2002, permitted discharges and discharge violations were both well above average, as was the population without access to public sewers. Local Watershed Activities Due to its selection as a priority watershed under the Kentucky Watershed Management Framework, a Red River Gorge Watershed Task Force was formed in 2001. As manager of two-thirds of the watershed, the U.S. Forest Service is interested in watershed management and willing to focus on this watershed. The agency conducts frequent water quality monitoring within the watershed and has completed a watershed analysis. In 2000, 12 of 13 assessed stream segments fully supported aquatic life. The non-supporting segment, a tributary of Swift Camp Creek in Campton, has been suggested as a potential model for watershed task force work in addressing sedimentation. As a headwaters stream, a restoration project focused here would be capable of clearly documented progress. Further, the watershed as a whole has been suggested as a model application of the watershed approach to preservation of resources. Many places in the Red River Gorge watershed are threatened by their popularity as recreational sites: overused campsites, and informal picnicking areas along waterways are becoming hotspots for erosion and direct contamination of streams. The Forest Service is seeking innovative ways to provide recreational opportunities while protecting the water, the stream banks, archeological sites, and endangered species. Other local concerns include the impacts of dumping, all-terrain vehicles, and logging outside Daniel Boone National Forest. The Kentucky Rural Water Association (KRWA) has been meeting with local officials, drinking water managers, and community residents in Wolfe (Campton) and Powell (Stanton) Counties to examine potential threats to the watershed as a drinking water source. In 2003, Source Water and Assessment Protection Plans were submitted to the Kentucky Division of Water in order to pinpoint and assess specific potential contaminant sources within close proximity to waterbodies serving as community drinking water sources. The KRWA effort is intended to refine these reports and assist communities in taking steps to avoid contamination of their water supplies. Community support for protection of the Red River has been strong in the past. The Friends of the Red River sponsors two annual tire roundups to remove junk from the riverbed. Various PRIDE projects have cleaned up area dumps, as well. These groups, as well as Kentucky River Watershed Watch, the U.S. Forest Service, and conservation districts, are capable of providing a strong nucleus for productive watershed activities. In 2005, the Kentucky River Authority provided two watershed grants for efforts to improve the Red River Gorge watershed. One watershed grant will enable three separate cleanup events to remove trash from the river. The other grant will fund an intensive educational effort to teach Powell County students about the watershed and human and biological interactions with its water quality.
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