Cane Run and Royal Spring Watershed Based Plan Project

The Cane Run Watershed was selected as one of five focused watersheds by the Watershed Steering Committee. Nonpoint sources of pollution for CaneRunCreek and the RoyalSpring aquifer include both agricultural and non-agricultural sources. The primary goals of the CaneRunand Royal Spring Watershed Based Plan Project (Phase I) are to develop a watershed based plan, develop pathogen and nutrient TMDL reports (including associated TMDL loadings, reductions, and associated implementation plans),and begin implementingthe Planto reduce, remediate, and prevent the effects of nonpoint source pollution in the watershed to meet or exceed state water quality standards. The watershed based plan will be developedand revised as the project evolvesand new information is gained. We will follow the watershed development guidelines outlined in Nonpoint Source Program and Grants Guidelines for States and Territories (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2003/0ctober/Day23/w26755.htm) and Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters (http://www .epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed handbook/). The developedTMDL reports will serve as the basis of watershed managementplansand support future or ongoingmanagementactivities. The TMDL portion of the project will utilize historic monitoring data and/or future data to be collected by the Kentucky Division of Water. The TMDL portion will be coordinated by the Kentucky Water ResourcesResearchInstitute at the University of Kentucky (KWRRI) and will involvestaff from the KWRRIas well as faculty and students from the University of Kentucky. The project will be coordinated with TMDL personnelassociated with the Kentucky Division of Water. Finally, the project will be coordinated with stakeholder groups in the basin to ensure input into the TMDL developmentprocessand to ensure that the reports receive the widest distribution possibleso as to directly impact ongoingmanagementactivities in the basin. To help facilitate this process the KWRRI will sponsora specific track in the annual KWRRI symposiumthat will highlight the TMDL developmentprocess as well as the work of the various stakeholder groups within the basin. The project will capitalize on the considerable data collected in the watershed for the TMDL studies completed and ongoing.Additional water quality monitoring will be used to further quantify the sources of pollutants entering the stream and for documenting the improvements in stream quality. The mix of agricultural, urban fringe and urban landscapeswill require the Watershed Based Plan to include a broad range of best managementpractices to be implemented. Since the Royal Spring is the primary drinking water supply for the city of Georgetown, improvements in the quality of water within the watershed will benefit not only the effected stream miles but the water uSerswithin the city as well.