Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA) partners with the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to manage the Kentucky Aquatic Resources Fund (KARF), a set of accounts that allocates federal funding and penalty payments to the restoration and protection of endangered aquatic species in Kentucky. The fund supports studies of mussel, fish, and crayfish ecology; propagation and reintroduction of fish and mussel species, some of which are critically endangered; wetland and stream restoration; and many other actions. Federal agencies such as the Corps of Engineers and state agencies such as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also fund aquatic species protection through KARF.
Another important partnership is the Red River Watershed Project in Eastern Kentucky. The Red River is a Wild & Scenic River and was threatened with a dam project in the 1960s. It is now a treasure for our state and is in a gorge which is an international climbing area and regional recreation area. However, the river and its tributaries are impaired by bacteria and sediment from the watershed. KWA and the US Forest Service have worked with local stakeholders to develop and implement a watershed plan.
Results/Conclusions
KWA uses partnerships to leverage our resources and be more effective in our mission. The KARF program agreement includes a management fee which helps support our mission to protect, restore, and celebrate the waterways of Kentucky. We publicize the important work done through KARF in our communications and lead tours of the Kentucky Mollusk Conservation Center and project sites to bring these stories to a wider audience. In the Red River Project, KWA has identified as an issue that, while people from across Kentucky and other states and countries know and love the Red River watershed, many of the residents of the area are not as aware of its rich natural history and resources. KWA has hired a watershed coordinator that lives in the watershed and is reaching out to local schools and groups to build awareness and support for the river. Some examples are a school artist-in-residence and mural project, a Bioblitz, and celebration events.