Geological Survey Map and Chart 192 James C. Cobb, State Geologist and Director Series XII, 2009 UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, LEXINGTON LM Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Creek Basins Boat Ramps in the Basin Daniel I. Carey Water Body Name Type Directions Fee Latitude Longitude Basin Location Nearly 7,600 miles of streams flow through the basin’s 3,440 Lick Creek ramp any boat Ky. 80 southeast of Pikeville; left on U.S. 460; left on Ky. 1373 to ramp no 37.40779 -82.31801 Fishtrap Lake Dam ramp any boat Ky. 80 southeast of Pikeville to Ky. 1789; follow signs yes 37.43665 -82.41445 Tygarts square miles in 14 counties to the , Big Sandy River, and Jenny Wiley State Park Marina ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302 to state park no 37.69361 -82.72723 Big/Little Sandy . The Tygarts Creek–Little Sandy River Basin includes Dewey Lake Jenny Wiley State Park–Stratton Branch ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; Ky. 302 to state park; follow Ky. 302 around lake to ramp no 37.70194 -82.73893 1,160 square miles. The Big Sandy River Basin has 2,285 square RIVER o Dewey Lake Jenny Wiley State Park Campground ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302; follow around lake to site no 37.71440 -82.73890 38.75 miles in Kentucky and 1,950 square miles in West and Dewey Lake Terry ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302; follow around lake to site no 37.72645 -82.74262 o Virginia. There are nearly 17,000 acres of wetlands, including Paintsville Lake State Park ramp any boat Ky. 40 west of Paintsville; right on Ky. 2275 to lake no 37.84292 -82.87993 -83 South OHIO Shore water bodies. Paintsville Lake Big Mine Fork ramp any boat Ky. 40 east of Salyersville; Ky. 1437 north to Wheelersburg; right on Ky. 5041 (Jellico Branch Road – Big Mine Fork) to ramp no 37.87450 -82.98621 05090103200 WXY Residents draw about 27 million gallons of water per day Paintsville Lake Open Fork boat ramp any boat Ky. 172 east of West Liberty to Relief; right on Open Fork Road; follow signs no 37.92989 -83.00146 2.92 23 «¬8 ¤£ (mgd) from streams and reservoirs in the basin. About three in five Yatesville Lake Rich Creek ramp any boat Ky. 32 west of Louisa; follow signs no 38.06448 -82.75062 residents are on public water; other households rely primarily on Yatesville Lake Pleasant Ridge ramp any boat Ky. 32 west of Louisa to Pleasant Ridge Road no 38.09525 -82.68909 domestic wells. Only about one in four households are on public Yatesville Lake Barkers Marina ramp any boat Ky. 3 north of Louisa; left on Ky. 3397; left on Ky. 1185 no 38.11880 -82.69359 Bruin Creek any boat Ky. 7 north of Sandy Hook; follow signs to lake (before entering Carter County) no 38.20149 -83.01083 sewer. On-site wastewater treatment is a critical issue affecting Grayson Lake Dam ramp any boat Ky. 7 south of Grayson; first road on left after crossing dam yes 38.24833 -82.98608 water quality throughout the basin. Fishtrap Lake Grapevine ramp small boat only U.S. 23 north of Pikeville; right on U.S. 119; right on Ky. 194 to Phyllis; follow signs to lake yes 37.43156 -82.35885 More than 540 miles of streams in the basin do not fully Hambley Lake Hambley Lake ramp small boat only Ky. 1426 to Combs Avenue; turn right at three-way stop onto Trivette Drive; ramp is near Agriculture Extension Office no 37.48465 -82.51652 support designated uses for warm-water aquatic habitat, fish of Big Sandy River Prestonsburg ramp small boat only Ky. 1428 to West Court Street; right onto north Front Street; take first left to river park no 37.66397 -82.77329 05090103180 consumption, and primary contact recreation. Most streams have Dewey Lake German Bridge ramp small boat only Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg to Emma; left on Ky. 194 to bridge no 37.68481 -82.65298 (!2 Levisa Fork of Big Sandy River Paintsville River Access small boat only Ky. 40 in Paintsville; southeast on Ky. 1428; left onto State Street; left onto Chessie Lane to River Road no 37.81329 -82.79204 25.44 7 not been assessed. The percentage of assessed streams not «¬ supporting uses was: warm-water aquatic habitat (60%); fish Tug Fork of Big Sandy River Warfield ramp small boat only Ky. 40 east of Inez to Warfield; left on Ky. 292 to ramp no 37.84611 -82.42032 784 consumption (16%); primary contact recreation (40%). Martin County Reservoir Martin County Reservoir ramp small boat only Ky. 40 southeast from Inez; left onto Ky. 908; left onto Reservoir Road no 37.87892 -82.51803 «¬ 05090103140 Paintsville Lake Lost Creek boat ramp small boat only Ky. 172 north from West Liberty; right onto Ky. 437; right on to Ky. 1260; right onto Lost Creek Road to ramp no 37.89743 -82.98873 74.86 Tygarts Cr 45 miles of streams have been declared special use waters: either exceptional waters or reference reach waters. Martin County Lake Martin County Lake ramp small boat only Ky. 40 west of Inez; Ky. 645 north; Ky. 1884 east (Milo Road) no 37.92178 -82.56743 «¬10 Yatesville Lake Twin Branch ramp small boat only Ky. 3 north of Louisa; left on Ky. 1; left on Ky. 828 (which becomes Twin Branch Road) to ramp no 38.10873 -82.74443 There are four remediation priority watersheds including 200 Tug Fork of Big Sandy River Louisa ramp small boat only Ky. 3 in Louisa to north Winston Street; right onto Main Street to ramp no 38.11975 -82.60501 square miles: primary impacts are pathogens, PCBs, metals, Grayson Lake Caney Creek small boat only Ky. 7 north of Sandy Hook; left on Ky. 504 no 38.16466 -83.08912 05090103090 siltation, dissolved solids, chlorides, and salinity. Grayson Lake Clifty Creek ramp small boat only Ky. 7 south of Grayson; pass dam on Grayson Lake; right on gravel road just before bridge over Clifty Creek arm no 38.23014 -83.01448 05090103170 31.32 Smoky Valley/Carter Caves Lake Smoky Valley/Carter Caves Lake ramp small boat only I-64 west of Grayson (exit 161); turn right and follow signs to Carter Caves State Park no 38.36659 -83.12958 Ohio River – East Catlettsburg ramp small boat only In Catlettsburg; Division Street behind floodwall at boat club no 38.41662 -82.59643 Beautiful Greenbo Lake in Greenup County reflects the surrounding hills on a quiet day. The 181-acre lake is 9.87 LM Greenup 827 WXY Greenbo Lake Greenbo Lake State Park small boat only Ky. 1 south of Greenbo; right on Ky. 1711; follow signs no 38.48488 -82.88410 located within Greenbo Lake State Resort Park. The 3,000-acre park provides camping, fishing (renowned «¬ )"19 (!^5 -82.75o Ohio River – East Ashland ramp small boat only In Ashland; north end of 16th Street behind floodwall no 38.48167 -82.63849 for largemouth bass), boating, golf, and hiking and biking trails. 05090103160 Worthington Little Sandy River Raccoon ramp small boat only Ky. 2 southwest of Greenup (6 miles) at bridge crossing no 38.53038 -82.87130 19.35 WXY Little Sandy River Greenup ramp small boat only U.S. 23 northwest of Greenup (1/4 mile) no 38.57981 -82.84300 WXY Alluvial Valleys 05090104130 Wurtland WXY Data from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources: kygeonet.ky.gov/kdfwr/viewer.htm. 48.51 18 Raceland )" GREENUP LM «¬503 7 1 «¬693 Flood Protection «¬ WXY «¬ Flatwoods Russell River Transportation

05090103150 o 12.19 2 River 38.5 05090103130 «¬ Bellefonte 23 Greenbo East ¤£ 38.5o 12.74 LakeLM (!1 LM «¬784 WXY WXY Fork Hood Cr 05090103040 «¬9 60.29 Ashland 3 05090104110 503 )"17 67 «¬ 20.74 «¬ «¬168 As a river town at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers, Catlettsburg was subject to flooding on a 05090103120 regular basis—estimated at every 18 months prior to 1937. During that year, a major flood convinced the town 55.38 that a floodwall was necessary. The levee (left) and floodwall seen here have been in operation since that time, Sandy «¬474 and are crucial to the survival of the town during floods. Photo by Bart Davidson, Kentucky Geological Survey. 5 «¬396 «¬2 Little (!3LM Catlettsburg River transportation supports industry on the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers. «¬538 ^WXY Levisa Fork «¬182 05090104100 7 38.35 «¬ 05090104120 5 «¬182 05090103110 14.46 «¬ Industry and Rivers 63.02 Little 64 (!4 Carter ¬180 ¦¨§ 2 7 « «¬ 9 «¬ 1 Caves (!17 «¬ «¬ Sandy 2 LakeLM 207 BOYD Wide alluvial valleys in the Tygarts Creek and Little Sandy watersheds provide land for 05090104090 «¬ 966 Big agriculture and development. Floodplain development should be designed to avoid or 30.72 «¬ minimize flood damage. -83.25o Grayson ¤£60 WXY 757 59 ^ 05090104140 «¬ «¬ Tygarts Cr 05090104080 153.9 Cr )"16 Whites «¬1 13.16 15 «¬854 Carter Caves )" 854 Sandy «¬ River 752 WXY Olive «¬ Hill ¬182 64 )"14 « ¬7 ¦¨§ « 05070204010 71.44 CARTER 16 o 05090104060 38.25 773 Levisa Fork, seen here at Paintsville in Johnson County, drains three-fourths of 4 33.88 «¬ «¬174 «¬986 LM the mountainous Dissected Appalachian Plateau region. Thin soils, lack of public 38.25o 05090103100 River wastewater treatment, mining, logging, and failed septic systems throughout the Industry on the Big Sandy near the I-64 bridge. The Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers 66.59 707 LM «¬ River watershed contribute to water-quality problems. provide water, transportation, and level land for industry. ¬955 ¤£23 « Grayson Sandy Agriculture 05090104030 LM Little Sandy River 118.89 Lake )"13 «¬504 05090104050 33 «¬649 «¬504 05090104070 LM 132.41 «¬885 «¬7 Blaine Cr ROWAN Little «¬173 828 «¬ 7 (!8 «¬486 Yatesville «¬409 LM «¬706 Lake LM ^ Louisa Narrow alluvial valleys, such as this in the headwaters of Blaine Creek LM )"12 in Lawrence County, provide limited level land for homes and agriculture River ELLIOTT in the mountainous region of the Levisa and Tug Fork basins. In the LAWRENCE o LM region, less than 5 percent of the land is tillable. -83.25 «¬556 Fork Sandy «¬644 «¬755 (!^10 Hook «¬173 WXY Little «¬201 LM 3 Sandy «¬ 32 Ecologic Regions Little «¬ «¬7 Carter Hills «¬702 05070204020 264.63 05090104040 Dissected Appalachian Plateau 650 27.29 «¬ Blaine o 05090104010 -82.5 Knobs 05090104020 706 36.52 «¬ Blaine Cr o 21.96 05070203170 38 Monongahela Transition Zone 719 94.87 17 «¬ o Explanation 38 Carboniferous Plateau (!7 «¬201 Carter Caves State Resort Park in Carter County is a popular attraction Elevation in feet for tourism, golfing, and business meetings. Beautiful hiking trails and Data from U.S. Environmental 2,301–3,104 Protection Agency caves can be found in the steep-sided tributary valleys of Tygarts Creek formed by Mississippian limestones. 1,901–2,300 «¬581 469 «¬689 05070203180 1,701–1,900 MORGAN «¬ 32.35

Russell Fork Rockcastle Cr 1,501–1,700 645 LM 589 LM 172 «¬ «¬ «¬ )"11 Tug Fork 10 1,301–1,500 Georges Cr 292 «¬ The Little Sandy River undercuts its sandstone bank in a quiet bend near Sandy 1,151–1,300 23 Hook in Elliott County. 689 ¤£ LM «¬ LM «¬908 1,001–1,150 Paint Cr JOHNSON )"10 Coal «¬40 WXY Inez 851–1,000 LM 05070203160 ^ 25.69 Slope 701–850 Paintsville 05070201200 993 LM 05070203140 580 ¬ Level to «¬ Lake « «¬645 «¬40 49.97 Warfield 482–700 168.62 Levisa Fork gently rolling MAGOFFIN LM Rolling Lakes (!9 05070203150 (!6 Hilly 15.94 LM 292 Steep Ponds «¬ ^ (!16 WXY 9 05070201200 Wetlands Paintsville)" 05070201210 49.97 «¬580 120.89 Source Water/Groundwater 05070203090 Protection Areas–Zone 1 44.31 MARTIN o -83 05070201150 Priority watershed: 460 www.water.ky.gov/watersheds/ ¤£ Wolf Cr 22.64 «¬321 37.75o 13 11-Digit Hydrologic Unit 1750 WXY 05070203130 o UV Looking down the Valley, a tributary of Levisa Fork, near the Kentucky- boundary, unit code, and 37.75 16 area in square miles «¬825 Virginia line. Photo by Bethany Overfield, Kentucky Geological Survey. LM«¬302 Incorporated city LM 05070203120 05070201190 Wetlands Dewey 23.68 83.47 Public water withdrawal «¬321 LM Lake ¤£52 )"12 114 site (see table) «¬ LM WXY LM «¬468 YWX Treatment plant outfalls 05070203080 Prestonsburg -82.25o ^ County seat 16.99 05070201150 ^ 194 612 LM )"8 «¬ «¬ 22.64 Large boat ramp LM «¬881 05070203110 LM 05070201170 Small boat ramp 16.84 59.29 15 12 292 Tug Fork !( Photo location ¤£23 05070203100 308 «¬ 167.66 «¬ 05070201150 Over 2 billion tons of coal has been mined in the basin, 1.7 billion by underground County boundary 05070203070 Johns Cr 22.64 64.29 05070203030 mining. In recent years, surface mines—such as this mountaintop job near Hippo Stream reaches not supporting assessed 60.82 05070201070 in Floyd County—have played a greater role in production. Photo from the U.S. Allen ¬319 uses: water.ky.gov/sw/tmdl/303d )"7 « 19.41 122 ¤£119 Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Imagery Program, 2004. «¬ Cr 05070201160 Special Use Waters: water.ky.gov/sw/specialwaters/ 40.58 05070201070 19.41

«¬404 «¬80 Beaver 05070203065 WXY o 12.15 Levisa Fork -82 Flood Damage Reduction (!11 Martin 05070201100 05070203040 05070201070 850 20.31 05070201070 «¬ 10.57 «¬199 19.41 FLOYD WXY Coal 19.41 Run Village «¬777 o ¤£119 37.5 8 (!15 PIKE More Information 05070203010 979 05070201090 05070201080 Boating and fishing access sites, Ky. Dept. Fish and Wildlife «¬ 61.77 Nearly 17,000 acres of wetlands 1 acre or larger have been delineated in the basin o 632 24.9 Resources: kygeonet.ky.gov/kdfwr/ 37.5 «¬550 WXY LM «¬ 34.51 by the National Wetlands Inventory Program. Wetlands are vital to aquatic life and 680 Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Basin Team: «¬ Pikeville 12 ^ www.watersheds.ky.gov/basins/big_little_sandy/ the maintenance of water quality. 05070203020 (! «¬7 )"6 52.3 Dewey Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: )"5 www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/DEW/ «¬777 MudCr Fishtrap Lake: parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/ft/ 680 05070202020 194 Moving out of the Floodplain Wayland «¬ «¬ Grayson Lake: parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/gl/ M 89.87 05070202070 L LM Paintsville Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: 21.02 Fishtrap www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/piv/ £23 6 ¤ Lake Yatesville Lake, parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/yl/ «¬550 LM Kentucky Division of Water: water.ky.gov/ Construction in the alluvial floodplain must ensure that living spaces are above Levisa Fork 05070203060 Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute: flood levels, as shown in these homes along Wolf Creek in Martin County. 154.51 «¬366 www.uky.edu/WaterResources/ Kentucky Geological Survey: www.uky.edu/kgs/water/library Lakes «¬899 05070203050 Water Watch Data: kgsmap.uky.edu/website/krww/ 73.41 7 U.S. Geological Survey surface water data: KNOTT «¬ )"4 water.usgs.gov/osw/ ¤£460 Shelby Cr Pikeville Cutoff WXY 05070202030 WXY 122 78.9 «¬ Russell Fork -82.25o «¬306 80 Pippa Wheelwright «¬ Passes )"3 «¬611 WXY Elkhorn 11 )"2 City ± «¬610 05070202080 13 «¬466 (! Nine feet of water ran on Main Street in Martin during the 1977 flood. The U.S. Army «¬582 115.11 (!14 Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, is implementing a redevelopment plan that «¬195 Scale = 1:190,080 will provide relocation and other nonstructural flood protection measures for homes, businesses, and government buildings. The plan was designed to preserve the 1 inch equals 3 miles cohesiveness of the Floyd County community. 05070202060 53.16 o 0 1.5 3 6 9 12 o 197 37.25 -82.75 o ¬ 37.25 « Miles Acknowledgments Public Water Withdrawals Thanks to Terry Hounshell and Meg Smath, 12 Location 1 Kentucky Geological Survey, for cartographic ID PWSID Owner Source -82.5o 9 and editorial improvements. Thanks to Kim and 805 1 0670213 Jenkins Water System Lake 203 Kent Anness, Kentucky Division of Geographic LETCHER «¬ 2 0980120 Elkhorn City Water Department Russell Fork Levisa Fork Nearly 6,300 acres of manmade lakes with 275 miles of shoreline provide flood Information, for base-map data. Recreation 3 0360463 Wheelwright Utilities Commission Wheelwright Mine WXY protection, water supplies, and recreation for the region. Paintsville Lake (above) ¤£23 Kayakers run the Class V water on the 4 0980575 Mountain Water District Russell Fork Levisa Fork Russell Fork River in the Breaks Inter- 5 0980350 Pikeville Water Department Levisa Fork/Big Sandy River offers 1,140 acres of boating, water sports, and fishing in Johnson County. 6 0360152 Francis Water Company Francis Water Mine Well Wildlife ^ Jenkins state Park on the Kentucky-Virginia line. 7 0360026 Southern Water & Sewer District Levisa Fork Big Sandy River )"1 A variety of experiences—boating, fish- 8 0360358 Prestonsburg City Utilities Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River ing, or merely enjoying the scenery—is 9 0580340 Paintsville Utility Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River provided by waterways throughout the 10 0800273 Martin County Water District Curtis Crum Reservoir basin. is one of 11 0800273 Martin County Water District Tug Fork Big Sandy River 12 0640257 Louisa Board of Water and Sewer Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River two interstate parks in America and 13 0220555 Rattlesnake Ridge Water District Grayson Lake encompasses 4,500 acres of woodland. The Pikeville Cut-Through, which began in 1973, was a 14-year 14 0220335 Olive Hill Municipal Water Works Tygarts Creek The Breaks, home of the deepest gorge engineering achievement second only to the Panama Canal. The 15 0220335 Olive Hill Municipal Water Works Olive Hill Reservoir east of the , also rises channel is 1,300 feet wide, 3,700 feet long, and 523 feet deep. It 16 0220164 Grayson Utility Commission Little Sandy River to lofty heights where golden eagles 17 0100011 Ashland Water Works Ohio River reroutes the flow of the Levisa Fork away from the oxbow that 18 0450376 Russell Water Works Ohio River make their home. The Towers and other encircles Pikeville and controls flooding. The 390 acres of flat land 19 0450169 Greenup Water Department Little Sandy River rock formations, caves, flora, and that were created have seen extensive development. This 2004

Data from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (2008) wildlife make the park a unique tourist photo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the completed 1 Public Water System Identification Number The resources in the basin are shared by many (above and left). destination. Photo by Bethany Overfield, 14 cutoff. Kentucky Geological Survey.