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OVERVIEW
Geography. The Silver Creek
watershed covers much of southern Madison County. Most of the upper reaches of
the watershed lie in the outer subregion of the Bluegrass physiographic region,
characterized by undulating terrain, moderate to rapid surface runoff, and
moderate rates of groundwater drainage. The southernmost section (around Berea)
is part of the Knobs region, characterized by hilly terrain, very rapid surface
runoff, and very slow groundwater drainage. In level parts of the Knobs, runoff
and groundwater drainage are slow. The lower part of the watershed is in the
hills of the bluegrass subregion of the Bluegrass physiographic region,
characterized by hilly terrain, very rapid surface runoff, and slow groundwater
drainage. Parts of the watershed lie over interbedded shales and limestones
(these are 20% limestone; water conduction is poor because of the clay content
of the shale). Other areas are underlain by interbedded limestones and shales
(>20% limestone, allowing groundwater flow where the clay content is low
enough).
Waterways. Silver Creek empties into the Kentucky River near the
western corner of Madison County. Among the creeks that feed it are Terrill
Branch, Brushy Fork, Hays Fork, Harts Fork, Elk Garden Branch, Taylor Fork,
Bogie Branch, and Jackson Branch.
Land and water use. Land in the watershed is more than 75%
agricultural, about 15% rural and wooded, and about 7% residential or
commercial. The surface waters of the watershed supply drinking water for the
Berea College system. Thirteen businesses and organizations hold permits for
discharges into the creeks. See tables for details.
Agency data assessment. The assessed waters in this watershed include
four that do not support some or all of their designated uses, based on
biological and/or water-quality data. One is designated threatened. Pathogens
and siltation from agricultural activities, septic tanks, and municipal point
sources contribute to the impairment of these streams. See tables for details.
Watershed rankings. The ranking formula provides a preliminary
ranking by synthesizing a broad spectrum of watershed characteristics, current
conditions, and threats. This watershed ranks in the group with a moderate need
for protection and/or restoration. This rating is for the watershed on average:
particular sites and particular waters within the watershed may vary widely. See
tables for details.
Volunteer data. Phosphorus levels at one of the two volunteer
monitoring sites on Silver Creek were elevated enough to cause potential
nutrient enrichment problems (> 0.1 mg/L). See tables for details.
TABLES
Click here to view tables for this watershed, in PDF format. These
tables include land-use characteristics, designated uses, stream assessments,
public water supply and water withdrawal sites, permitted discharge sites,
gaging and sampling sites, volunteer data, and values for the 35 indicators used
in calculating watershed rankings. (You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the
tables: Adobe
Systems will let you download a free
copy.)
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