Published: May 06, 2009 12:21 am      

Triplett Creek to be studied for pollution

MSU to study pollution in creek

MOREHEAD — Scientists at Morehead State University and state and federal agencies will study pollution in the Triplett Creek watershed for the next five years, looking for ways to improve stream quality.

The $1.1 million study, paid for by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will look for sources of what is called nonpoint source pollution, said April Haight, director of the Center for Environmental Education.

Nonpoint source means pollution that can’t be traced to a single origin, such as a factory or sewer. Instead, the pollution comes from multiple sources and is carried to the stream by runoff from rainfall or snowmelt. The runoff picks up natural and manmade pollutants such as agricultural byproducts and effluents from faulty septic systems.

In Triplett Creek, part of which runs through Morehead, sediment and pathogens have been identified as the most troublesome pollutants, Haight said. The river often runs brown during flood season and when it does overflow its banks leaves behind bacteria-laden mud, she said.

The creek, along with Christy Creek and Dry Creek in the same watershed, has been designated as impaired by the Kentucky Division of Water. They do support some aquatic life but swimming is hazardous.

Also, because runoff loads the stream with sediment, the sediment is deposited as sandbars and other formations that add to the flooding danger.

Over the five-year study, scientists will assess the watershed and develop a plan to improve water quality, develop best practices and implement them, Haight said. The study will start with monitoring 31 sites at which scientists will test for sediment, pathogens, nutrients, oxygen levels, pH levels and amount of flow.

The study is valuable because it takes a holistic approach to pollution control, said Lajuanda Haight-Maybriar, Licking River watershed manager for the division of water. The division expects the study to yield a comprehensive plan to improve water quality, she said.

Nonpoint source pollution has become the focus in water quality issues because, being the cumulative impact of all sources, it is difficult to pin down, Haight-Maybriar said. “We’re all nonpoint source contributors.”

An effective remediation plan “breaks down the watershed into sub-watersheds,” she said. Then communities can look more closely at local causes and make better decisions on how to spend limited funds.

The Triplett Creek Committee — a coalition including MSU, the city of Morehead, Rowan County, the Rowan County Health Department, Morehead Utility Plant Board, the division of water, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Cooperative Extension Service, Licking River Basin Team, Licking River Watershed Watch, Natural Resource Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service — will host community roundtables to educate on water quality issues.

The community voices will help with choosing areas to target, Haight said. “And we hope they can assist us with implementation.”

The first of the roundtables will be scheduled for sometime in October.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652