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Current Developments
The Dix Watershed Council first convened July 17, 2006. The purpose of this Council is to:
- Help identify pollutant sources
- Review and comment on sampling results and analysis
- Make specific recommendations for water quality improvement projects
- Support, encourage, and participate in actions recommended in the final watershed plan
Water Quality Results
To see the most curent results of the project survey, click on the flowing links to download maps that illustrate the aquatic health in the Dix River watershed.
Chlorophyll-a
Dissolved Oxygen
Total Suspended Solids
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
E. coli
Other Documents
To download a PDF version of the meeting notes and documents below, please click the
following links:
October 30, 2007
Meeting Notes
June 12, 2007
Meeting Notes
May 8, 2007
Meeting Notes | Latest Partial Draft of Dix River Watershed Plan
March 27, 2007
Meeting Notes | Watershed Planning by Lee Colten | Urban Stormwater Runoff by Brooke Shireman
Other Meeting Notes
1/16/2007 |
11/14/06 |
9/12/06 |
7/17/06 |
5/9/2006
Anyone interested in becoming involved in this Council is encourage to do so by contacting Malissa
McAlister at (859)257-1299 or
mlmcal2@uky.edu.
Monitoring has been conducted from March 2006 to February 2007. All data collection activities in the Dix River Watershed have been done according to a Quality Assurance Project Plan.
Results from the Dix River monitoring effort to date for the bacteria E. coli are available. Click Here to view.
The map provides the location of all the sampling sites.
The table of data shows the amount or level of E. coli at these locations. E. coli data have been of particular interest to the local communities because of what these results represent to human health and because high levels have been found throughout the watershed.
When people hear of E. coli, they often think of the deaths related to the ‘Jack in the Box’ hamburger contamination story of several years back; or the recent spinach contamination. While E. coli is a concern, it is not always what people think it is. E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the gut of all warm blooded animals – humans, livestock, and wildlife. When fecal matter from any of these animals finds it way to our waterways, E. coli can be detected in the water. As the bacteria must live in the intestinal tract of animals, it usually dies off in the stream over time. While there are types of E. coli that can cause serious illnesses or death (e.g. spinach or Jack in the Box varieties), most are not harmful. However, the E. coli do represent the potential for other harmful disease-causing organisms. E. coli serves as an indicator of the amount of fecal matter getting into our waterways and possibly other harmful diseases. The Kentucky Water Quality Standards say that the average E. coli levels must be less than 240 colonies per 100 ml of water sampled (see 401 KAR 5:031 to view regulations).
How does E. coli, or fecal matter, get into our waterways? The most common sources are from individual homes (failing septic systems or straight pipe discharges from homes with no sewage system), livestock, or poorly maintained wastewater treatment plants. While wildlife is common and can introduce fecal matter into our waterways, rural areas with few humans or livestock seldom show high levels of E. coli.
The graph below shows the E. coli sampling results, to date, at sites with average levels (actually a geometric mean) greater than 2000. This level was chosen as an easy way to identify ‘hot spots’ in the watershed. For more information on these data, contact John Webb at (502) 564-3410 or john.webb@ky.gov
Project History
None of the water quality problems that exist in the Dix River watershed
will be easily solved, but we can achieve significant progress by
prioritizing and building community consensus for solutions. Many of
the issues affecting our land and water are highly interrelated.
A watershed approach offers an opportunity for comprehensive planning
to better manage the resources on which we all depend. The principle
of a watershed approach is to seek integrated solutions at a
watershed level that take into account all the land uses and needs
of the community and the environment.
As part of the 1998 Clean Water Action Plan, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and KDOW jointly selected five priority watersheds in
Kentucky for targeted water quality improvement. Criteria for
selection included:
-
Portions of watershed were listed as impaired (303d)
- Area was included in NRCS 1998 EQIP Priority Watershed List
- Nonpoint issues were present
- Watershed area is a scale that can be managed
- Demonstrated stakeholder support exists
The Dix River
was selected as one of these priority watersheds. KDOW has committed
to form a watershed council to provide input to watershed analysis
and plan development. Between 2006 and 2007, KDOW intends to:
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Develop TMDLs for subwatersheds of
the Dix River including Clarks Run, Hanging Fork and Herrington Lake
(a TMDL, or Total Maximum Daily Load, identifies pollutant sources
and the amount of each pollutant from different sources, and makes
recommendations for the amount of pollutant a stream can handle
without violating water quality standards)
- Develop a watershed plan to reduce pollutants from point and
nonpoint sources
- Identify funding sources to implement practices that can reduce
pollutants
- Present a draft watershed plan to the watershed council and
various stakeholders, and
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Begin implementing
remediation actions identified in watershed plan
Third Rock Consultants, LLC. (Third Rock) was retained in the fall of 2005 by
KDOW to estimate the amount of point and nonpoint source pollution
in the Dix River watershed to support the development of the TMDLs
and an effective watershed management plan. To this end, Third Rock
biologists will implement a comprehensive sampling effort that will
allow the full consideration of all potential sources of pollution.
A total of 39 stations in five counties will be sampled, including
four on Lake Herrington and 35 stream stations. Sampling began in
March 2006 and will continue twelve months through February 2007.
Following completion of the sampling effort, the water quality data
for Clark’s Run will be analyzed and modeling will be conducted by
Third Rock to determine the TMDL for Clark’s Run. KDOW will analyze
the data collected by Third Rock from Hanging Fork and KDOW
personnel will develop a TMDL for that watershed. The sampling
effort in the greater Dix River watershed will be used to determine
if there are sources of pollutants that have not been accounted for.
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