Thanks to everyone who nominated their waterway for a cleanup and who voted for their favorite stream on Facebook! The results are in, and we have a winner!

Poor Fork of the Cumberland River in Harlan County, KY submitted by Cathryn Forester got the most votes and will receive financial and publicity support from Kentucky Waterways Alliance to host a cleanup for their local waterway!

We are working out the details about the cleanup and will let you know more soon. In the meantime, read more about Cathryn's submission for Poor Fork of the Cumberland...

Why do you think your waterway needs a cleanup?

Small pockets of our community are trying to develop a tourist industry and are working hard to clean up and promote the beautiful nature areas that we have. The Paddle Sport Committee of the Harlan County Outdoor Recreation Board Authority is trying to develop a support system for paddlers to be able to navigate the Cumberland River. There is a ton of trash in our waterways and silt from mining has changed the depth as well as the flow of the river.
Last year we held two very successful Clean Ups. If you go to the Google map linked below you can see sites we have cleaned (and what was gotten out!) and ones we’ve identified that need more work. It seems overwhelming but we’d like to do another big cleanup, construct some put ins with picnic tables and trash cans and plan a group paddling event for this year. Our long range goal is that a few entrepreneurs will be able to start kayak/canoe rentals and outfitter/guide businesses and that our own community will start to enjoy paddling in our waterways.

Tell us a story about why your waterway special.

Harlan County is home to the Headwaters of the mighty Cumberland River, including a designated Wild River area on the Martin’s Fork, and Black Mountain, the highest mountain in Kentucky and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Most Endangered Places. But it’s also home to King Coal – both a blessing and a curse. Our future hangs in the balance.

Grateful for the single industry that provides good jobs, our county still aches from a depressed economy, a polluted environment and the grip of poverty that prevents hopes from ever rising too high. Although we are proud of our mining industry and the contributions to the success of our country that mining has made, we all know that the coal won’t last forever and that it takes a toll on our environment. We need to develop other avenues of industry for the future and we need to protect and nurture what we have. What we have is the unsurpassed beauty of our mountains and waterways and an indomitable mountaineer spirit.

That spirit is alive and well in a committed group of citizens who are working to build a tourist industry where none has ever existed. Thanks to their efforts, Black Mountain ATV park is wildly successful and other adventure tourism ideas are being developed including a zip line and horse trails. Paddling is the next venture that we’d like to explore – both for the tourism dollars it might bring into the community and the recreation opportunities it will provide for residents who don’t have a lot to do in our small community.
Last years efforts included several small clean ups by mission groups and local volunteers and two huge clean ups that gained media attention and community interest and pride. It was a giant step in the right direction. Scrap metal from old cars in the river were sold and $1000 was contributed to the community Angel Tree, providing gifts to children all over the county. People were energized to see something so big accomplished but still doubt that we can get the river clean enough to be safe, let alone develop tourism around it.
But we intend to prove them wrong. The county and city governments have agreed to help with put ins and another Harlan County River Clean Up is in the works. Our hope is to get many more people involved, committed and invested in making a huge impact this year. Our goal is to have a flotilla down the (clean) river for our residents and to be able to advertise that our waterways are open for tourism. Come see our beautiful “neck of the woods” and help us reach our goal this year!

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To read all the sumbissions click here.

If you have questions, please contact Kelly Cook at kelly@KWAlliance.org or (502) 589-8008.