Although we have our share of problems, Kentucky has some of the cleanest and healthiest waterways left in America. At Kentucky Waterways Alliance, it’s our job to keep it that way.
Our work is an investment in the future - so our children and their children can enjoy safe water to drink, family outings on the river or lake, and experience wildlife in their natural homes. It is also an investment in a healthy economy - because keeping pollution out of our waters in the first place is much cheaper than cleaning it up later.
At Kentucky Waterways Alliance, we act as the watchdog for our state's waterways and do the hard the work that others avoid: law and policy.
When government officials propose laws and policies that affect our waters, we read them. We examine the fine print - looking for loopholes, exemptions, and omissions. We identify shortcomings and propose better alternatives. Our involvement results in stronger, fairer laws for nature protection and pollution control.
Later, when corporations and developers request permits to pollute our waters, we read those applications. And when regulators issue those permits, we read those, too. The government and industry are a lot more careful when they know we’re keeping an eye on things and will hold them accountable to the law! Even still, sometimes we catch - challenge - serious attempts to evade the spirit or the letter of clean water laws.
And when negotiation fails, we’ll take our case - on your behalf - to court. Over the years, we’ve persuaded state and federal courts to compel any number of polluters or negligent agencies to live up to their responsibilities under the law.
In this section, we invite you to explore how we use the law and policy to reach towards the goal of safe, healthy, clean waterways in Kentucky. Learn about our work on the state’s mightiest rivers and smallest streams. We welcome you to join us in protecting our state’s waterways in the present and preserving them for future generations.