The Clarks Run, Hanging Fork, and Hinkston Creek Watershed Improvement Program is designed to improve water quality in the focus watersheds through implementation of the watershed-based plans (WBP) for Clarks Run and Hanging Fork watersheds, both in the Kentucky River Basin, and Hinkston Creek watershed in the Licking River Basin. The main goal of the program is to reduce human and livestock fecal inputs, increase and improve riparian buffer areas to reduce erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient loading in streams, and decrease other non-point source pollutants from urban and agricultural stormwater runoff.
Objectives include educating local homeowners, landowners, and students, enabling better septic system function, enhancing riparian zones, and building watershed stakeholder capacity for the long-term appreciation, understanding, and improvement of each watershed and its tributaries. To reach these objectives, Bluegrass Greensource offers education opportunities to increase knowledge of local water quality issues for local citizens, officials, and K-12 students and collaborates with county partners to provide input and financial and technical support for implementing best management practices. This work was founded in part by a grant from the U.S. EPA under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act through the Kentucky Division of Water.