Kentucky River Watershed Watch (KRWW) held the annual Fall Sampling event last week. Between September 8th and 10th, 136 stream sites across the Kentucky River Basin were sampled and tested for E.coli and heavy metals. This was a large water testing undertaking with samples coming from 40 Kentucky counties. Headwaters and Letcher County were...
This past Saturday, September 10th, 74 college students and community members throughout Eastern Kentucky participated in the Big Dip Redux. Collectively, volunteers sampled over 75 sites for various water quality parameters. This event was a 9/11 AmeriCorps VISTA National Day of Service project and was carried out as part of a more comprehensive Kentucky...
The Appalachian Health & Well-being Forum is taking place Monday, July 25th 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Letcher County Cooperative Extension Office. If you are interested in water quality, environmental health, or overall well-being, be sure to attend. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the well-being initiatives taking place in...
TTHMs Trihalomethanes are one of the main byproducts of chemical water disinfection systems and other chemical contaminations. Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are prevalent in chlorinated water supplies, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). TTHM Chemical Formation TTHMs are formed when chlorine, a common disinfectant, is added to water containing organic materials, which occurs...
The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) is a federal advisory committee established to provide advice and recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding environmental justice issues. NEJAC holds public comments sessions in order to gather public input related to environmental justice matters. NEJAC is currently accepting public comments regarding (1) water infrastructure...
The Kentucky Division of Water has designated Bad Branch a Wild River. This designation includes the Kentucky 932 bridge upstream to the headwaters. Bad Branch Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in Kentucky. Be sure to take a look at the Wild Rivers Story Map for Bad Branch and other Wild Rivers to...
Members of Headwaters participated in the Kentucky River Watershed Watch Pathogen Sampling Event on May 13th and 14th. Various samples were collected from streams throughout the North Fork watershed and taken to a local lab for E. coli testing. E. coli samples are gathered as a measure of sewage contamination. Raw sewage has consistently...
On Saturday the 16th, a group of Letcher County Central High School students joined Headwaters in a stream cleanup along the North Fork. By the end of the morning about 80 large bags of litter were removed from the banks of the river. Those who have participated in the stream cleanup for several years agree...
