What is a watershed?
It is the land across and under which water flows on its way to a stream, river, lake or other water body.  Each of us lives in a watershed.

What is watershed management?
Since everything we do in a watershed affects the soil, water, air, plants and animals in it, watershed management means reducing those activities that result in runoff of soil and pollutants that might negatively affect the quality of our streams, lakes and groundwater and that affect droughts and flooding because of too little or too much water in the watershed.

Why watershed management?
Water is vital to the life and growth of our communities. Your watershed is not only the source of your community's drinking water, but is essential to the local economy through use in industry and agriculture. Water provides scenic beauty and areas for recreational activity. If a watershed is not managed properly, these uses of water can be threatened by pollution, drought or flooding, which cost money and can cost lives.

What is the watershed framework?
It is not a new program or requirement. In an effort to coordinate resource management activities among many agencies and organizations, the state has adopted a Watershed Management Framework. Its mission is to serve as a means for integrating the programs, tools and resources of multiple stakeholder groups to better protect, maintain and restore the ecology of watersheds and support sustainable uses of watersheds. Coordination of activities under the Framework will take place at three levels: at the state level by the Statewide Steering Committee; at the local level by local watershed task forces; and at the regional level by river basin teams, which serve as intermediaries between the state and local groups.

What does this mean to me?

• KPDES permits
  All KPDES permits within a basin are scheduled for renewal in the same year. 
• Water supply
  Water withdrawal permits are reviewed each year by basin. Updates to a permit may occur at that time.
• Monitoring to identify areas of concern
  Coordinated interagency monitoring will provide a better picture of the condition of each river basin. Targeted monitoring will help determine priority watersheds.
• Management planning to occur at the local level
  Based upon documented conditions, local watershed task forces prepare management plans to address identified problems in the watershed. It is essential to take all views into account for successful implementation of these plans. Your input is important.

What can I do?

• Water quality
  Ensuring that you have the proper permits and that you are in compliance with the conditions of these permits is the best insurance that you are doing your part. Best management practices should be followed to prevent stormwater runoff and contamination of groundwater supplies. Pollution prevention programs are available (Kentucky Partners, [502]588-7260) to help you identify processes in your operation that can be modified to reduce pollution and save money.
• Flooding
  Be sure your construction site or other activities are well out of the floodplain.