Watershed-based Planning Projects

What is a Watershed-based Plan?

A watershed-based plan is a flexible framework for managing water quality and quantity within the watershed.  Watershed boundaries, streams, and groundwater rarely follow political boundaries drawn on maps.  Thus, watershed planning creates a unique environment where multiple jurisdictions can work together to reduce duplication of effort and build on each other’s resources and information to solve water-related problems.  A multi-jurisdictional approach to addressing water quality issues often results in long-term cooperation and coordination among neighboring entities.  Watershed plans identify strategies to address the most important issues currently facing the area and provide a mechanism to plan for the water resource needs of future generations.

What is KWA’s Role in Watershed-based Planning?

The Kentucky Waterways Alliance is currently working on several watershed-based plans.  All current watershed-based planning projects are funded in part by separate grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under 319(h) of the Clean Water Act through the Kentucky Division of Water.  KWA works as the coordinating agency in each grant to create watershed-based plans.  Currently KWA is also working to create a Watershed-based Planning Guidebook for the state of Kentucky to help in this developing field.

KWA is working on watershed-based plans for the following areas:

• Bacon Creek Watershed-based Planning Project (Hart, Hardin and Larue Counties)
• Floyds Fork Watershed-based Planning Project (Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, and Spencer Counties)
• Harrods Creek (Darby Creek) Watershed-based Planning Project (Oldham County)
• Triplett Creek (Dry Creek) Watershed-based Planning Project (Rowan County)
• Strodes Creek (Hancock Creek) Watershed-based Planning Project (Clark County)
• Fleming Creek (Town Branch) Watershed-based Planning Project (Fleming County)

For more information on watershed-based planning and available tools visit Resources and Programs for Local Groups.