Natural Resources: Water

Wetlands | Waterfalls | Watersheds

The stewardship of water, soil, and air resources is a basic requirement for the national forest land management activities. Riparian (streamside) areas on the Daniel Boone National Forest are of importance to many wildlife, fish, and plant species. The Forest Service manages these areas to maintain streamside function, values and resources. In addition to the wildlife and plant species that thrive here, riparian areas are also essential for flood control, providing clean water and erosion control, and as a place for forest visitors to enjoy.

STREAM INVENTORY SYSTEM. In an effort to better understand stream habitats, the forest has developed a state-of-the-art stream inventory system. This inventory system measures fish habitat, fish population, macroinvertebrates, channel stability, valley segment types, and riparian vegetation in several regional reference streams.

WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT. Watersheds that are in need of rehabilitation are restored through the application of efficient and timely reclamation measures. The Daniel Boone National Forest manages approximately 1,200 miles of streams. In a typical year, water quality is monitored at 40 locations in 10 to 15  different watersheds.

WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS. Careful administration of land disturbing activities and application of protective conservation practices ensure high quality surface water and ground water.

ARTIFICIAL WETLANDS. The Forest Service sometimes acquires land needing reclamation as a result of past mining or other land use practices. Some past mining operations on these lands discharge acidic water that damages or destroys aquatic ecosystems. The Forest Service, in cooperation with Federal and State agencies and other interested groups, created artificial wetlands at Jones Branch and Mt. Victory. A shallow, flat bed of water, called a wetland, was built and filled with swampland plants such as cattails. When the mine water enters the wetlands, cattails and other wetland plants, bacteria, fungi, and algae improve water quality and remove heavy metals. Using nature's healing processes, these wetlands may soon offer a way to restore streams rendered biologically dead by acid mine drainage.

Through partnerships with the Federal Office of Surface Mining, the Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, Sierra Club, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and other organizations, the Forest Service will continue to build more wetlands and monitor the results.

PARTNERSHIPS IN WATERSHED RESTORATION

The forest continues to move forward in its commitment to maintaining and/or enhancing soil productivity, water quality and air quality.

In the past five years, the Forest has implemented restoration projects involving 1,535 acres and improvement maintenance on 980 acres previously treated. Much of this work has been accomplished in cooperation with other Federal and State agencies, university and conservation groups. Examples of these projects are:

• Horse Lick - In 1992, the Daniel Boone and The Nature Conservancy entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to protect and restore the Horse Lick watershed on the London District. The private land area is now designated by the Nature Conservancy as a Nature Conservancy Bio-reserve.

• Jones Branch Wetland - In 1988-1989, the Forest, in cooperation with Forest Service Research, The Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, and the Federal Office of Surface Mining, built an 11,000 square foot artificial wetland to treat acid mine drainage from an abandoned underground coal mine.

• In 1995, the Forest formed a partnership with the Cumberland Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Kentucky Waterways Alliance to implement coal mine reclamation on an abandoned mine site. Several miles of a biologically dead stream is draining into Lake Cumberland. The groups have pledged $14,500 for restoration. Other contributors are being sought.

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildlandwaters/

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Last Updated: March 8, 2011