The drainage basin of the Cumberland River encompasses an area of 17,914 square miles, making it by far the largest watershed with an origin in Kentucky.  Of this area, the Upper Cumberland River drains approximately 5,180 square miles of southeastern Kentucky. There are approximately 10,200 miles of streams in the Upper Cumberland River watershed.  The basin is bordered on the east by the Cumberland and Black mountains, which form the border with Kentucky and Virginia.  The northern and western borders are the drainage divides of the Kentucky and Green rivers, respectively.  To the south, the basin extends into Tennessee where it borders the Tennessee River Valley.  The general topography varies greatly.  The eastern half of the basin lies in the Eastern Mountains and Coal Field Physiographic region, which is part of the larger Cumberland Plateau. The western half of the basin lies in the Mississippian Plateau region.  A small portion of the northern tip lies in the Knobs region.  The elevation of the basin ranges from 540 feet above sea level in Monroe County along the Cumberland River to Kentucky’s highest point of 4,145 feet on Big Black Mountain in Harlan County.  This area includes all or part of 20 counties in Kentucky: Bell, Harlan, Letcher, Knox, Clay, Whitley, Laurel, Jackson, Rockcastle, McCreary, Pulaski, Lincoln, Casey, Russell, Wayne, Adair, Clinton, Metcalfe, Monroe and Cumberland.  Kentucky cities in the basin include Barbourville, Harlan, Pineville, Williamsburg, London, Somerset, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Jamestown, Burkesville, Albany, McKee, Middlesboro and Corbin, plus numerous smaller communities.  Estimates from the 2000 Census show the population of the basin is roughly 335,000.

Issues of concern in the Upper Cumberland River Basin vary, but are often directly or indirectly related to longstanding economic instability, which has precluded environmental stewardship and sustainability.  The issues include lack of wastewater treatment due to straight line pipes, failing home septic systems, improperly operated and maintained package plants and poor planning associated with regional or municipal facilities; increased logging that is near or above record levels and is projected to continue in future years; hydromodifications deemed necessary to fix areas prone to flooding; historical and ongoing effects of surface mining, such as acid mine drainage, valley fills, siltation and loss of riparian area; increases in intensive livestock operations, such as cattle and poultry as tobacco production and small farms are replaced. 

Many parts of the Upper Cumberland River Basin have been set aside and given special protection because of their natural qualities and scenic beauty. While these lands are managed for their long-term protection, many are open to the public. In addition to providing a safe haven for rare species and unique ecological systems, these areas provide outstanding scenery and recreational opportunities.

The U.S. Forest Service administers a large portion of the basin as part of the Daniel Boone National Forest. A portion of the forest has been designated by Congress as the Beaver Creek Wilderness, one of the state’s two wilderness areas. The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service, protects much of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland, upstream from Lake Cumberland in McCreary County. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, in Bell and Harlan counties, covers more than 26,000 acres, including the headwaters of Cumberland River tributaries, Martins Fork, Shillalah Creek, Sugar Run and Yellow Creek.

Nature Preserves within the basin include the Bad Branch, Pine Mountain State Park, Cumberland Falls State Park, Blanton Forest, Kingdom Come and Hi Lewis State Nature Preserves, totaling 6,293 acres. These areas are managed by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to protect resident plants and animals, including many threatened and endangered species. There are eight state parks in the basin – Cumberland Falls, Kingdom Come, Lake Cumberland, Pine Mountain, Levi Jackson, Thomas Walker State Historic Site, Dale Hollow Lake, General Burnside – and two state forests – Kentennia in Harlan County (3,624 acres) and Kentucky Ridge in Bell County (11,363 acres). There are also numerous state wildlife management areas administered by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. These include the Lake Cumberland, Mill Creek, Cane Creek, Beaver Creek, Big South Fork, Kentucky Ridge State Forest, Shillalah Creek, Martins Fork Lake, Cranks Creek, Dale Hollow Lake and Kentennia State Forest Wildlife Management Areas. 

Segments of seven streams in the Upper Cumberland basin have been designated as state wild rivers by the Kentucky General Assembly, in recognition of their outstanding natural qualities and pristine setting. The designated stream segments are in the Cumberland River above and below Cumberland Falls, the Big South Fork within the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Bad Branch within Bad Branch State Nature Preserve and portions of the Little South Fork, Martins Fork, Rock Creek and the Rockcastle River.

Basin Overview - Basin overview of the Upper Cumberland River Basin watershed assessment.

Ranked Watersheds List - This is a list of watersheds and their rank completed by the Basin Team.

Methodology - The process of targeting resource by identifying three important environmental impact groups.