South Fork of Beargrass Creek Watershed

LOJIC Disclaimer

The South Fork of Beargrass Creek Watershed is approximately 27 square miles, and includes a portion of metropolitan Louisville. South Fork of Beargrass Creek begins above the Bardstown Road area and flows through the northeastern section of downtown Louisville before emptying into the Ohio River. Several miles of this stream have been enclosed in concrete U-shaped channels. There are two regular sampling stations along the South Fork of Beargrass Creek.

South Fork of Beargrass Creek has several stream segments on the State (303d) list for aquatic life and recreational impairment. The Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) classifies streams based upon their potential use, such as whether they may be used for recreational purposes, whether they support aquatic life, etc. The 303d list identifies streams within Kentucky that do not meet their designated use or partially fail to meet their designated use.

Due to the intensity of development within this watershed, streams in the South Fork of Beargrass Creek watershed are true urban streams. A very high percentage of this watershed is impervious. In addition, there are combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in the area. This combination results in moderate to high nutrient levels. Fecal coliform populations exceed pollution standards almost two thirds of the time. Fast moving storm water scours the stream banks, causing erosion, sedimentation, siltation, and resulting in the decline of water quality and habitat quality. Physical pressures, high water fluctuations during storm events, and microbiological effects result in severe impacts on both habitat and the biological communities in the streams.

Overall impacts to the South Fork of Beargrass Creek watershed area are considered moderate to severe and are highly variable depending on the flow rate. No quick fixes will help reduce the impacts to this urban watershed. Solutions to the issues facing the South Fork of Beargrass Creek Watershed will have to be long term. Better water quality and quantity management requires the reduction of CSO and SSO discharges, as well as addressing non-point source pollution issues. Revegetation of stream banks, instream habitat remediation, and modification of stream channels to produce reaeration zones will help to improve both habitat and water quality.

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