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Meadow Creek Meadow depletion 1.4 oxygen runoff Dissolved Industrial Obey River Obey Little Piney Creek Piney Little 3.0alteration Flow impoundments Upstream Meadow Creek Meadow 19.0sediment and pH Low mines Abandoned Looper Branch Looper 1.2alteration Flow impoundments Upstream Dale Hollow Lake Hollow Dale Charlie Branch Charlie alteration 0.7 ow fl impoundments and Metals Upstream Big Laurel Creek Laurel Big 9.2metals and pH Low mines Abandoned Little Laurel Creek Laurel Little 3.6metals and pH Low mines Abandoned East Fork of the Obey River Obey the of Fork East East Fork Obey River sediment Obey and Fork 33.7mines East metals, pH, Low Abandoned York Mill York Big Piney Creek Piney Big 18.6sediment and pH Low mines Abandoned Cub Creek Cub 7.2metals and pH Low mines Abandoned depletion, and temperature changes temperature and depletion, Municipal point source discharges and urban runoff runoff urban and discharges source point Municipal Rockcastle Creek Rockcastle 8.9 Pathogens, nutrients, dissolved oxygen oxygen dissolved nutrients, Pathogens, and undetermined sources undetermined and Town Branchsediment and Town 3.1nutrients, Pathogens, Municipal point source discharges discharges source point Municipal Obey River 6.8 Dissolved oxygen depletion and fl ow alteration Upstream impoundments alteration ow fl Upstream and River Obey depletion oxygen 6.8 Dissolved Unnamed Tributary of Smith Creek loss 1.6Smith of vegetation Tributary Riparian Unnamed Agriculture # STREAM SEGMENT MILES IMPAIRMENT SUSPECTED SOURCES OF IMPAIRMENT OF MILES#SEGMENT SOURCES STREAM IMPAIRMENT SUSPECTED OBEY WATERSHED: OBEY d e t c e ected ff aff a g n i e being b s is i r e t a water w r u our o w o H How Bunkum Cave Bunkum East Fork of the Obey River Obey the of Fork East er from high levels of iron and other heavy metals, and and metals, heavy other and iron of levels high from er suff long term problem for local water quality in the watershed. the in quality water local for problem term long the Cumberland Basin. Two-thirds of the watershed’s area area watershed’s the of Two-thirds Basin. Cumberland the most of the impaired streams in the Obey Watershed Watershed Obey the in streams impaired the of most The Obey is one of the least developed watersheds within within watersheds developed least the of one is Obey The mining ends, making unremediated mining sites a potential potential a sites mining unremediated making ends, mining them potentially unsafe for swimming or fi shing. However, However, shing. fi or swimming for unsafe potentially them sites. Acid mine drainage can persist for decades after after decades for persist can drainage mine Acid sites. THREATS TO THE WATERSHED THE TO THREATS clean ups throughout the year. the throughout ups clean , making making , coli E. as such pathogens with contaminated are Rodeo and numerous area river and stream stream and river area numerous and Rodeo still signifi cant, much of it deriving from abandoned mining mining abandoned from deriving it of much cant, signifi still unassessed. Of those streams that are impaired, about 10% 10% about impaired, are that streams those Of unassessed. Dragon Boat Festival, the annual Catfi sh sh Catfi annual the Festival, Boat Dragon than most other watersheds in the basin, but pollution is is pollution but basin, the in watersheds other most than include the annual Cumberland River River Cumberland annual the include considered impaired, but a staggering 65% remains remains 65% staggering a but impaired, considered of these streams are polluted. polluted. are streams these of er less from pollution pollution from less er suff to appears Watershed Obey The awareness of water resources. These These resources. water of awareness of streams and rivers. Of this distance, roughly 11% is is 11% roughly distance, this Of rivers. and streams of scenic and recreational streams. Unfortunately, even some some even Unfortunately, streams. recreational and scenic its course below the confl uence of its East and West Forks. Forks. West and East its of uence confl the below course its resulting in a greater appreciation and and appreciation greater a in resulting The Obey Watershed contains approximately 1040 miles miles 1040 approximately contains Watershed Obey The on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory, a list of exemplary exemplary of list a Inventory, Rivers Nationwide the on for residents to enjoy local waterways, waterways, local enjoy to residents for impoundment, the Dale Hollow Lake reservoir, for much of of much for reservoir, Lake Hollow Dale the impoundment, Watershed also contains 81 miles of streams that are listed listed are that streams of miles 81 contains also Watershed • The Compact provides many opportunities opportunities many provides Compact • The WATER QUALITY WATER heavily altered and now takes the form of a dam-controlled dam-controlled a of form the takes now and altered heavily though not necessarily in pristine condition. The Obey Obey The condition. pristine in necessarily not though CONNECT at a population of just 2,000. The Obey River itself has been been has itself River Obey The 2,000. just of population a at The remaining 24% of streams are considered unimpaired, unimpaired, considered are streams of 24% remaining The largest town entirely in the watershed is Albany, Kentucky, Kentucky, Albany, is watershed the in entirely town largest watersheds within the Cumberland Basin. Cumberland the within watersheds ects. ects. eff health negative in result could concentrations) water. Very little of the watershed is heavily developed, and the the and developed, heavily is watershed the of little Very it one of the least populous and least densely populated populated densely least and populous least the of one it frequently consuming fi sh that may have high metal metal high have may that sh fi consuming frequently improve soil conditions and conserve conserve and conditions soil improve is open water, primarily in the massive Dale Hollow Lake. Lake. Hollow Dale massive the in primarily water, open is miles in area, with a population of under 40,000, making making 40,000, under of population a with area, in miles a contaminated stream as a long term water source or or source water term long a as stream contaminated a streams and work with area farmers to to farmers area with work and streams the Cumberland River. The watershed measures 947 square square 947 measures watershed The River. Cumberland the Obey Watershed has the “most” water: almost 5% of its area area its of 5% almost water: “most” the has Watershed Obey contact and fi shing, but prolonged exposure (e.g using using (e.g exposure prolonged but shing, fi and contact development, restore impaired urban urban impaired restore development, drained by the Obey River, one of the 7 major tributaries of of tributaries major 7 the of one River, Obey the by drained Basin. We promote sustainable sustainable promote We Basin. pastoral agriculture. Of all the watersheds in the basin, the the basin, the in watersheds the all Of agriculture. pastoral mines. Such streams may pose less of a threat for water water for threat a of less pose may streams Such mines. resources throughout the Cumberland Cumberland the throughout resources THE OBEY WATERSHED OBEY THE encompasses the land land the encompasses high acidity, generally from drainage from abandoned abandoned from drainage from generally acidity, high remains forested, with much of the remainder consisting of of consisting remainder the of much with forested, remains proactive steps in protecting water water protecting in steps proactive and the agricultural community to take take to community agricultural the and • We work with developers, city planners, planners, city developers, with work • We PROTECT solutions to planting rain gardens. rain planting to solutions improvement methods ranging from policy policy from ranging methods improvement cials. Together we share water quality quality water share we Together cials. offi businesses, to neighborhoods and elected elected and neighborhoods to businesses, and organizations – from schools, to to schools, from – organizations and • The Compact works regularly with residents residents with regularly works Compact • The TEACH helps. How the How WWhathat ccanan I ddoo ttoo kkeepeep mmyy sstreamstreams aandnd rriversivers cclean?lean? Wolf River • Leave a 35’ to 100’ no mow zone between streams and activity that disturbs, compacts, or removes soil. • Harvest rainwater from rooftops using rain barrels or larger cisterns. • Keep livestock fenced away from streams and rivers. Dale Hollow Lake • Don’t pour toxic household chemicals down the drain; take them to a hazardous waste center. 37213 • Use hardy plants that require little or no watering, fertilizers, or pesticides in your yard. ENNESSEE , T York Mill located along the Wolf River • Do not over apply fertilizers. Consider using organic or slow release fertilizers instead. • Recycle yard waste in a compost pile and use a ASHVILLE N | mulching mower. WELCOME TO 300 • Use pervious surfaces like wood, brick or gravel for THE OBEY WATERSHED! decks and walkways; this allows rain to soak in and not UITE run off . , S The Obey River Watershed, one of the 14 major • Never pour used oil or antifreeze into the storm drain VENUE watersheds that make up the larger Cumberland A or the street. River Basin, is a land of thickly forested plateaus, ICTORY canyons and pastoral rolling hills. The Obey • Pick up after your dog, and dispose of the waste in the V Watershed is sparsely populated and undeveloped toilet or the trash. WO T AAnn overviewoverview ofof in much of its area, yet many of its streams and • Drive less – walk or bike; many pollutants in our waters come from car exhaust and car leaks. oourur wwaterater qqualityuality rivers suff er from the legacy of historical mining in the region.

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