This document summarizes a study of water quality in the Kentucky River watershed from 2001-2006. The author thanks their advisors Dr. Buddhi Gyawali, Jeremy Sandifer, and Ms. Cynthia Rice for guidance. The study analyzed how land use, such as agriculture, mining, and urbanization, impacted water quality. High levels of metals and nutrients were found near mining and urban areas, while low dissolved oxygen levels occurred by agricultural land. The author used GIS data and trend analysis to link changes in water quality parameters to land activities affecting the watershed.

1. Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Dr. Buddhi Gyawali, Jeremy
Sandifer and Ms. Cynthia Rice for their guidance and support
with this project.Figure 5. Water quality perimeters
Water Quality and Land Cover Change
Kentucky River Watershed (2001-2006)
D’Andre Garrison, Buddhi Gyawali, Jeremy Sandifer
Kentucky State University
Abstract
The Kentucky River has played an important role in the lives, history and culture of many people for thousands of years. It
provides irrigation, potable water, fish stocks and transportation, supporting millions of people all over the state of
Kentucky. The purpose of my study was to gain knowledge of the Kentucky River and track the pollutants that leak into its
waters. With my study, I wish to inform people of the pollutants that infest the Kentucky River; with hopes of preventing
harmful water pollution.
Introduction
I have investigated the water quality of the Kentucky River
basin, Ky., as part of water quality assessment project. Data
collected is used to describe the spatial and temporal
variability of surface-water constituents including major and
minor ions, metals, trace elements, nutrients, sediments,
pesticides, dissolved oxygen, and fecal-coliform bacteria.
Efforts were made to determine the influence of land use on
water quality. Oil-production activities are the source of
barium, bromide, chloride, magnesium, and sodium in several
sub basins. High concentrations of aluminum, iron and zinc
were related to surface mining in the Eastern Coal Field Region.
High concentrations of lead and zinc were found in streambed
sediments in urban areas, whereas high concentrations of
arsenic, strontium, and uranium were associated with natural
geologic sources. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations generally
exceeded the minimum concentration needed to sustain
aquatic life. Median dissolved-oxygen concentrations were
higher and less variable in sub basins where forest was the
dominant land-use type. High nutrient concentrations and
associated high organic-carbon content may have contributed
to low dissolved-oxygen concentrations in sub basins where
agricultural land use was dominant. Concentrations of
phosphorus were significantly correlated with urban and
agricultural land use. The high phosphorus content of
Bluegrass Region soils was an important source of phosphorus
in streams.
Objectives
•Analyze the effects of oil production on water quality and
distribution of metals and other trace elements, nutrients,
sediment, and pesticides in surface waters in the basin.
•Present analyses of data collected in the project describes
the distribution and trends in concentrations of major
pollutants
•Describe the quality of water in streams of the Kentucky
River Basin.
Results
Water quality in the Kentucky River Basin is affected by many
factors. Natural factors of importance include geology, soil type,
topography, and precipitation patterns. Humans factors include
population distribution, water use, land use, and wastewater-
treatment practices. These factors interact in various ways and
vary in importance throughout the basin. Oil-production
activities were the source of barium, boron, bromide, chloride,
magnesium, sodium, and strontium in several subbasins. Overall,
oil-producing subbasins in the Kentucky River Basin contribute a
large percentage of the dissolved-constituent loads of the
Kentucky River. Land disturbance, especially coal-mining and
agricultural activities, exposes geologic material to weathering
and consequently increases transport of sediment and trace
elements to streams.
References
• American Public Health Association, 1987, Standard methods for the
examination of water and wastewater (18thed.): Washington, D.C., [variously
paged].
• Dufour, A.P., 1977, Escherichia coli- The fecal coliform, in Haodley, A.W., and
Dutka, B.J., eds., Bacterial indicators/health hazards associated with water:
Philadelphia, American Society for Testing and Materials, Special Techinal
Publication 635, p.48-58.
• Edberg, S.C., 1992, Health effects of microbes isolated from drinking water, in
Regulating drinking water quality: Chelsea, Mich., Lewis Publishers, p. 167-
174.
• Gianessi, L.P., 1986, Water pollutant discharges and pesticide usage estimates
for NAWQA surface-water study regions: Washington, D.C., Resources for the
Future, 19 p.
• Jaccard, James, Turisi, Robert, and Wan, C.K., 1990, Interaction effects in
multiple regression: Newbury Park, Calif., Sage Publications, 95 p.
• Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, 1986,
Kentucky Report to Congress on water quality, 1986-87: 192 p.
• Witkowski, P.J., Smith, J.A., Fusillo, T.V., and Chiou, C.T., 1987, A review of
surface-water sediment fractions and their interactions with persistent
manmade organic compounds: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 993, 39 p.
Table 1. Characterization of the seven fixed stations in the Kentucky
River Basin.
Methods
•Here I employ Geographic Information System (GIS)
methodological framework. In order to identify specific
sources of pollution; I have collected geospatial data from a
range of sources. Including, Kentucky GeoNet, United States
Geological Survey (USGS), University of Kentucky, Kentucky
Department of Natural Resources and USGS Water Center.
•Each spatial data layer was Geo Referenced to ensure proper
geographic overlay, within the study area. Note that proper
geographic overlay allows use to investigate the relationship of
the potential pollution sources and there orientation within
the Kentucky River Basin.
•Using the “R” programing language I have constructed a trend
analyses of the most commonly collected water quality
parameters, (Figure 5) in a attempt to link changes in this data;
we have to link these changes back to the activities that are
happening on the land within the Kentucky River Basin.