The Lower subbasin of the Kentucky River stretches from Madison County north to Carroll and Gallatin Counties. It includes the most heavily populated region of the basin, surrounding Lexington.

A few issues account for most of the problems documented for this subbasin in the Kentucky Division of Water’s most recent Report to Congress under the Clean Water Act. These include straight pipes and failing septic systems, pathogens and nutrients from agricultural sources, contamination from runoff in heavily settled areas, modification of streambeds or removal of vegetation, and siltation resulting from agriculture, construction, or other activities.

The watersheds in counties surrounding Lexington almost all ranked high in the Ranked Watershed List. Several were among the top ten in the basin, underscoring the need to address watershed issues in an area of high population density and rapid growth. The northern part of the subbasin includes many watersheds that ranked lower in need for action, but several also ranked medium or high.

Learn more about the subbasin by going to EPA’s Lower Kentucky subbasin web site.