The Beargrass Creek Alliance is a grassroots, action-oriented group seeking to preserve Louisville’s greatest natural resource through community involvement.
Our mission is to raise awareness about Beargrass Creek and to make it clean, safe, and accessible for everyone.
Please take the 2012 BCA Member Survey!
The Stormwater/Beargrass Connection
When we say ‘stormwater,’ we just mean rain or snow. Stormwater pollution is particularly bad news for Beargrass Creek because so much nearby land has been paved over. So it’s not only the pollutants that the stormwater picks up that are problematic, but it’s also the water itself. Too much water at once overflows the system. Because in parts of town we have combined sewer and storm drains (referred to as the combined sewer system or CSOs), a big rain storm will overflow the system and cause sewage to be released into the creek. One way to address this issue is by capturing the rain that falls before it runs off so it won’t overflow the system. Rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns, and native plants can all help.
Neighborhood Creek Project
The Beargrass Creek Alliance has developed a program to help get our neighbors involved in cleaning up Beargrass. The Neighborhood Creek Project is an education and outreach program that focuses on reducing stormwater by speaking to local groups about the issues. Then we ask interested folks in the group to host a Party with a Purpose (coffee with friends, a wine and cheese party, etc) to let their neighbors know that reducing stormwater is something we can all do at our homes. The Pledge is a tiered approach to taking these simple steps, from not running your washing machine on a rainy day to planting a rain garden with your neighbor, we can all do something!
If you or someone you know is interested in being a neighborhood volunteer, please let us know by contacting Tessa Edelen at tessa@kwalliance.org or (502) 589-8008.
We can all do something to help! There are many ways to combat pollution caused by stormwater runoff in our communities. Watch the video to see the issue through the eyes of 9-year-olds from the Bloom Elementary Media Club and 1st place winners of KWA's Show Your Love for Beargrass Creek video short contest.
Special Thank You to the Barth Foundation for their financial support of the Beargrass Creek Alliance.
