Water Quality Field Day Agenda

Discussion

9:00 am

"What are the impacts on water quality in the upper Salt River Watershed?"

Keynote Speaker

9:15 am

Larry Cox, State Director and representative for Senator Mitch McConnell

Presentations at the College

9:30 am

What is karst?

Pennie DuBarry, U.S. Geological Survey

Karst is a landscape/geologic setting, generally underlain by limestone or dolomite. It is formed by the dissolving of rock and characterized by sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs. Field-day participants will learn how land-use activities in the upper Salt River Watershed can affect water quality in karst areas.

9:35 am

Understanding water quality

Mark Ayers, U.S. Geological Survey

Water is essential to human life and to the health of the environment.

Everyone relies on water to exist. What you and others do to the land impacts the quantity and quality of water. Field-day participants will learn how the health of a watershed is determined, how certain constituents affect the water quality in streams and the significance of their values, and how activities in a watershed affect water quality.

A look at the upper Salt River Watershed--Educating stakeholders using a GIS approach

Mark Ayers, U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources–Division of Conservation (KDOC), has developed an informational tool to demonstrate how available data can be used to look at land-use changes and water quality in the Salt River Watershed above the Taylorsville Lake Dam in parts of Anderson, Boyle, Mercer, Nelson, Spencer, and Shelby Counties, Kentucky. Field-day participants will be shown how this informational tool (electronic “point and click” Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF)) can be used to learn how land use and water quality have changed in the upper Salt River Watershed.

10:00 am

Alternate methods to treating on-site wastewater

Mike Davis, Kentucky Onsite Wastewater Training Center

Development in the upper Salt River Watershed and throughout Kentucky has increased the need for alternative methods of treating on-site wastewater. Field-day participants will learn about various alternative on-site wastewater-treatment systems including composting and incinerating systems, fixed-film and activated-treatment processes, as well as various soil-distribution components.

11:15 am

Leave for Hammond Creek

Soil composition in the upper Salt River Watershed

Steve Blandford, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Soils and geologic factors affect ground water in the upper Salt River Watershed, specifically, the different soil types and soil properties that affect infiltration and percolation of water and (or) contaminants. Field-day participants will learn how different types of land use affect infiltration, percolation, and runoff. They also will learn about how ground water is affected by different types of bedrock.

11:30 am

Citizen participation in water-quality

Russell Barnett, Salt River Watershed Watch

Water-quality in the upper Salt River Watershed can be compromised by land-use practices. Field-day participants will have the opportunity to sample surface waters for DO, pH, conductivity, and temperature and will be given an explanation of the significance of each parameter discussed. Participants also will conduct a biological assessment of a stream and sample for macro invertebrates. An overview of the Salt River Watershed and the quality of its waters, as well as previous water sampling at the site, will be discussed.

12:00 pm

Lunch at sampling site--courtesy of the Shelby, Spencer, and Anderson County Conservation Districts

12:30 pm

Leave for Van Buren

Van Buren boat ramp

1:00 pm

How forests protect water quality

Ben Lyle, Kentucky Division of Forestry

Forests protect water quality by providing shade to streams and bank stabilization. Additionally, slope erosion is minimized by leaf litter and tree canopy. During silviculture operations, measures should be taken to protect water quality. Establishment of streamside-management zones and proper installation of erosion-control structures will limit soil erosion from a forested area and protect water quality. Field-day participants will view a site that shows how important forests are to water quality.

1:15 pm

The impact of nonpoint-source of pollution on aquatic life

Kerry Prather, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

High levels of nutrients from natural and human-related activities affect plankton and productivity levels in Taylorsville Lake. These conditions have an effect on the overall fish population in the lake, as well as the targeted sport-fish species. The fishery at Taylorsville Lake provides outdoor recreation of Kentucky’s largest urban area. Field-day participants will view a site on Taylorsville Lake that is impacted by high levels of nutrients.

1:30 pm

How nutrient levels affect thermocline in Taylorsville Lake

Keith Richardson, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Not only do nutrient levels affect aquatic life in Taylorsville Lake, but they affect the operation of the lake control tower as well. Field-day participants will learn how these nutrient levels affect the thermocline, USACE water-quality sampling, and how the USACE uses multilevel gates to improve downstream water quality

1:45 pm

Leave for Jones' farm

Jones farm

2:10 pm

Best-management practices for agricultural

Kelly Bennett, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Agricultural practices still can affect water quality in the upper Salt River Watershed even though the land use is changing. Field-day participants will visit a farm where best-management practices (BMPs) have been applied as a means to prevent nutrient runoff and nonpoint-source pollution.

2:30 pm

Return to the college