[ Home ] [ Membership ] [ Contents ] [ Search ] [ Links ]

Oldham County Watersheds

The protection of one of Oldham County's most important natural resources--its watersheds--must remain a priority for Kentucky and county officials and citizens.  Oldham County Government sponsored a Salt River Basin Team County Watershed Meeting on January 6, 2006.  The Salt River Basin Team presented an informative and educational overview of Oldham County's watersheds during the two-hour meeting attended by a wide range of government officials, interested organizations, and private citizens.

Click on the items below to review presentation materials from the meeting:

•   Presentation Part 1:  Watershed Introduction

•   Presentation Part 2:  Oldham County Specific Watershed Issues

•   Presentation Part 3:  Land Use

•   Presentation Part 4:  Ongoing Projects, Studies, and Research

•   Listing of Impaired Oldham County Streams  (State 303(d) List Streams)

•   Map of Impaired Oldham County Streams (State 303(d) List Streams)

•   Educational Resources

•   Funding Resources

Oldham County's major watersheds are depicted below.

The Salt River Basin Team is comprised of representatives from federal, state and local agencies, academia, special interest and volunteer groups, as well as local citizens.  The Salt River Basin includes 71 sub water sheds and spans 19 counties.  The Basin Team acts as technical advisors to local officials, stakeholders and citizens with the basin and implements a watershed management approach by targeting programs, people, information and funds to targeted watershed within the basin.

Angela Kessans, the Salt River Basin Coordinator from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, College of Agriculture stated that Oldham County is very proactive in water quality management, citing the recently passed Wastewater Treatment  and Construction Site Run-off ordinances and the Curry's Fork Project. 

Oldham County Fiscal Court along with the University of Louisville, Strand Associates and FWS received a $1.6 million EPA  grant to develop and implement aspects of a Watershed based plan to improve water quality in the stream.  The project will begin sometime in late 2006 and will have a duration of 6.5 years.

Volunteers Needed for Salt River Watershed Watch

Additionally, the Salt River Watershed Watch Project is organizing volunteer teams to conduct visual surveys and collect samples for laboratory analysis from waterways in the area.  You can access a form for on-line registration and receive additional information at http://kywater.org/watch/saltl.htm or call 1-800-928-0045, Extension 473.

Click here to explore the watersheds in Oldham County.  We have included many informational links regarding Watersheds in our "LINKS" page.

Click here to read the Kentucky Geological Survey report:  Groundwater Resources of Oldham County, Kentucky (2004)