Kentucky River Basin Report on Water and Related Land Resources

Excerpts from the report: The basin is located in east-central Kentucky and is completely within the state. It contains 17 complete counties and portions of 24 others. The upstream section of the 6,966 square mile area is in Letcher County, near the Kentucky-Virginia state line. From its origin in the southeastern Kentucky mountainous section, the basin extends approximately 175 miles downstream to the Ohio River in Carroll County. The irregular shaped area varies in width from about 30 miles in the lower section to 50 miles in the upstream portion. The Kentucky River Basin consists of three distinct sections--the upper, middle, and lower. Each section has different surface features, resources, and economic activities that distinguish it from the others. The upper section of the basin is a predominantly forested and steep, mountainous area with deeply dissected valleys. Coal mining is the major industry. Agricultural enterprises are limited and are confined mostly to the narrow flood plain areas. In the middle or Bluegrass section, the topography is gently rolling and the soils are more fertile and suitable for agricultural production. This section is more densely populated and the economy is diversified with agriculture, manufacturing and service industries being the major activities. The Bluegrass area is also widely known for its horse farms and burley tobacco production. The lower section is topographically rougher and has more shallow and less fertile soils than the middle portion. A diversified type of agriculture prevails, with most of the crops being produced on bottom lands and the flatter ridge areas. The sloping and steeper lands are mostly Eden soils and are used primarily for pasture. Frankfort, the state capital, is in this area and provides employment for many area residents. The principal objectives of the basin study were to: 1. Identify the basic water and related land resource problems and concerns; 2. Provide information on the quantity and relative quality of the basin's natural resources; 3. Identify and evaluate alternatives for reducing soil resource problems and meeting future food and fiber production needs; and 4. Indicate opportunities and ways Federal, State, and local agencies may alleviate the basic resource problems. Nine alternative plans are discussed in this report. The alternative plans are directed primarily toward reducing the agricultural resource problems and meeting projected food and fiber needs for the year 2000.