Selected nonpoint source pollution control Web sites are provided to assist users with locating additional information. The Web sites are organized in the following categories: agriculture, data, education, federal, forestry, monitoring, onsite/decentralized wastewater, recreation, resource extraction, riparian zone and urban land use.
The links to these Web sites are provided only for the convenience of the users and are not managed by the Division of Water (DOW). The DOW does not control, nor take responsibility for, the content on these sites.
Agriculture
The University of Kentucky cooperative extension offices serve as a link between the counties of the commonwealth and the state's land grant universities to help people improve their lives through an educational process focusing on their issues and needs.
Kentucky's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides leadership and administers programs to help people conserve, improve and sustain our natural resources and environment on private land.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – NRCS Technical Resources Web site - provides technical information, resources, tools, models and data.
The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship (LPES) Curriculum project provides a national curriculum and supporting educational tools to United States livestock and poultry industry advisers who, in turn, can help producers acquire certification and/or achieve environmentally sustainable production systems. Producers also benefit from the information and assessment tools that the curriculum provides.
Kentucky Division of Conservation’s mission is to assist Kentucky's 121 local conservation districts in the development and implementation of sound soil and water conservation programs to manage, enhance and promote the wise use of the commonwealth's natural resources.
CRS Report for Congress contains an extensive list of Web sites related to agriculture, conservation and the environment.
Water Quality Information Center in the National Agricultural Library provides electronic access to information about water quality and agriculture.
Data
Maps and reports are available to help you learn the condition of your stream or lake. See an online map, 305(b) Water Quality Reports to Congress, 303(d) List of Impaired Streams and other online information sources to learn about the waterway you are interested in.
Education
Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) is charged with promoting and coordinating environmental education activities in the commonwealth. This link contains standard aligned curriculum, information on where to borrow Enviroscape NPS models, and information on environmental education outreach and professional development opportunities throughout the commonwealth.
The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) is a statewide organization made up of nonformal and formal educators, interested citizens, and agency and business representatives. KAEE offers its members opportunities to share ideas through an annual conference and newsletter. KAEE members assist with the development and implementation of environmental education programs. The national organization that serves the same purposes and further helps to raise the professional standards for environmental educators is the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, or Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment, serves 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. The PRIDE initiative focuses people's attention on the pollution problems in the region and looks for ways to fix those problems.
Bluegrass PRIDE will strive to promote environmental awareness and educational programs in 18 central Kentucky counties, their communities and schools, while tackling straight pipe, illegal dump and other environmental cleanup projects.
Federal
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment — air, water and land — upon which life depends. For 30 years, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
See EPA’s home page for Nonpoint Source Pollution programs.
Forestry
The Kentucky Master Logger program was instituted under the Kentucky Forest Conservation Act. Every active logging operation must have a certified master logger on site. The Master Logger Program provides instruction in the use of best management practices (BMPs) on logging operations.
American Forests is a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests.
Mountain Association of Community Economic Development (MACED) is working to support private landowners' long-term use of their forest resource through good management practices. MACED is working to complete a forestry handbook aimed at supporting the long-term economic and environmental benefits of nonindustrial, privately managed forestland.
The Kentucky Division of Forestry’s mission is to protect and enhance the forest resources of the commonwealth through a public informed of the environmental and economic importance of these resources.
Fisheries
Fish as Indicators of Watershed Health describes the EPA’s evaluation of watersheds using fish as a quantitative measure of community-level and aquatic resource health.
Biocriteria is an EPA discussion of the use of biological criteria to assess aquatic communities.
Biological Assessment details methods used by the EPA to evaluate the condition of waterbodies using surveys and other direct measurements of resident biological organisms (macroinvertebrates, fish and plants).
Biological Indicators of Watershed Health provides information and useful resources for selection and proper use of indicator organisms used for evaluation of aquatic resources in a variety of ecosystems.
Common Fish of Kentucky Murray State University’s photo gallery of cold- and warmwater fish found in Kentucky.
Kentucky Fish Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Resource’s reference of common sportfish encountered by anglers in the commonwealth.
Endangered Fish U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS).
Macroinvertebrates
Invertebrates as Indicators gives information on aquatic macroinvertebrates (e.g., mollusks, insects, crustaceans and annelids) and their use as indicators of aquatic resource quality.
Taxonomic Resources
Chironomids and Water Beetles of Florida Dr. John Epler’s personal Web site provides many aquatic insect taxonomic references for the southeastern United States.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Bureau of Laboratories list of keys and guides for use in the southeastern United States.
New York Department of Environmental Conservation provides aquatic macroinvertebrate keys useful for the broad identification of many freshwater organisms.
Training
Highlands Biological Station offers training in taxonomy of southern Appalachian mayfly, stonefly and caddisfly larvae in odd-numbered years.
Professional Societies and Associations
American Fisheries Society seeks to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals.
North American Benthological Society (NABS) NABS is an international scientific organization whose purpose is to promote better understanding of the biotic communities of lake and stream bottoms and their role in aquatic ecosystems by providing media and disseminating new investigation results, new interpretations and other benthological information to aquatic biologists and to the scientific community at large.
Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) FMCS is an organization devoted to the advocacy for, public education about and conservation science of freshwater mollusks -- North America's most imperiled fauna.
On-site/Decentralized Wastewater
Kentucky Onsite Wastewater Association/Kentucky Onsite Wastewater Training Center is housed at the Anderson Campus of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College District in Lawrenceburg, Ky.
EPA Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Systems. EPA has developed this Web site to provide tools to help communities investigate and implement an on-site/decentralized management program. Decentralized treatment systems include individual on-site septic systems, cluster systems and alternative wastewater technologies. Information for home owners regarding the care and use of their on-site system is also provided.
National Onsite Wastewater Recyclers Association. Its mission is to provide leadership and promote the on-site wastewater treatment and recycling industry through education, training, communication and quality tools to support excellence in performance.
The National Small Flows Clearinghouse, funded by the EPA, helps America's small communities and home owners solve their wastewater problems to protect public health and the environment.
Recreation
Through education, restoration and research, Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.
Resource Extraction
The Kentucky Department for Natural Resources (DNR) now contains the various programs and divisions of the former Kentucky Department for Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. The DNR Web site provides information on permits, education, regulations and a number of other topics pertaining to surface mining reclamation.
U.S. Office of Surface Mining is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior with responsibility, in cooperation with the states and Native American tribes, to protect citizens and the environment during mining and reclamation and to reclaim mines abandoned before 1977. The Web site is a one-stop information resource for surface mining news and events.
Riparian Zone
Riparian Buffer Systems, a Web page of the Wye Research and Education Center, University of Maryland, is an excellent resource on riparian buffers including sources of plant material, beneficial species and good Web links. Be sure to check out the slide presentation.
Urban Land Use
U.S. EPA’s Urban Sites offers EPA and non-EPA links to information about urban NPS pollution prevention, low-impact development, model ordinances, funding opportunities and other topics.
Techniques for Tracking, Evaluating and Reporting the Implementation of Nonpoint Source Control Measures - Urban is guidance for developing statistical measures of reduction in nonpoint source pollution as the result of implementing best management practices in urban settings.
The Low-Impact Development Center Inc. is a nonprofit water resources research group with a mission of conducting research and training on low-impact development and sustainable stormwater management.
Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials Organization is an educational program for local land-use officials that addresses the relationship of land use to natural resource protection. This Web page provides information and technical assistance, publications and slide shows on land use and water quality topics, with an emphasis on the influence of imperviousness in the landscape.
Center for Watershed Protection is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that provides local governments, activists and watershed organizations around the country with the technical tools for protecting some of the nation’s most precious natural resources: our streams, lakes and rivers.
Sustainable Sources was created in 1993 to provide a one-stop online resource center for sustainability, specifically green building, sustainable agriculture and responsible planning.
