|
|||
Green River
Considered a national treasure of biodiversity, the Green River is the most biologically diverse and rich branch of the Ohio River system. Perhaps the greatest amount of the river’s aquatic diversity occurs in an unhindered, 100-mile stretch flowing from the Green River Reservoir Dam, through Mammoth Cave National Park, the world’s longest and most diverse cave system. For more than a decade, the Conservancy has been working along the Green River to improve water quality and aquatic habitat. This has been done through community-based conservation efforts with local landowners, including farmers, and through partnerships with various local, state, federal government agencies and private organizations. For example, in 2002, the Conservancy entered an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address flow regimes resulting from the presence of the Green River Dam. Located at the river's critical headwaters, the dam was built in 1969 to control flooding and provide public recreation. While it has served these purposes, the dam has also prevented the flow of water that would naturally drain from almost 800 square miles upstream. Instead, the Corps' dam operators control the release of water out of the reservoir through a multi-level outlet works and concrete conduit. A scientific analysis performed by the Conservancy revealed that most of the water being released from the reservoir somewhat mimicked natural flows during much of the year. However, the study found that during autumn, the Corps released too much water in preparation for winter floods. Conservancy scientists believed that this unnatural flow pattern and related water temperature alterations likely caused serious problems for the Green River's mussels and fishes. In response, the Corps entered into an agreement with the Conservancy to alter dam operations in a way that would improve these conditions while continuing to meet human demands for water. The changes have benefited plants and animals without sacrificing the dam's primary purpose of flood control. For recreational users, the changes actually extended access to portions of the reservoir by more than a month due to the slower draw down of the lake to winter pool. Size: 1,350 square miles Location: Central Kentucky; consists of the upper Green River watershed, its tributaries, and the Mammoth Cave National Park Threats: Dams that alter the natural river flows; non-point source pollution from agricultural runoff; incompatible rural land development. Milestones: Reached acreage cap for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in 2008, less than halfway into the program. Entered into the CREP in 2001 to enroll up to 100,000 acres with $110 million contributed from the Federal government ($88 million), the Commonwealth ($17 million) and the Conservancy ($5 million) over a period of 15 years. In 2002, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tested, and eventually adopted in 2007, new practices related to dam operation that would benefit both wildlife habitat and human uses. Action: Dam reoperation. Planting natural buffers around sinkholes within the karst plain, and along the tributaries and main stem of the river in an effort to reduce by 10 percent the amount of sediment, pesticides, and nutrients entering the watershed from agricultural sources. Supplying alterative water for cattle to keep them out of streams. Working with the federal government, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to secure funding for conservation projects. Partners: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA-Farm Services Agency (FSA), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Geological Survey (USGS), Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Division of Conservation, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University, Tennessee Technical University, Western Kentucky University. Learn More: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Brochure More on the Conservancy’s Partnership with the Corps of Engineers
|
|||
Join The Nature Conservancy on