In 2001, Kentucky flagged 6.5 miles of Triplett Creek for silt and nutrient pollution. 21 years later, monitoring found it met standards and cleared 2 pollution listings

Triplett Creek water quality: A 6.5-mile stretch of Triplett Creek in northeastern Kentucky was added to the state’s list of impaired waters in 2001 for siltation, nutrients and organic enrichment.

More than two decades later, monitoring showed the segment was meeting water quality criteria for nutrients and organic enrichment. Kentucky’s Division of Water removed those two impairments in 2022.

The monitoring results came after years of watershed planning, streambank restoration, stormwater projects and agricultural conservation work, supported in part by investments through the Clean Water Act Section 319 Program.

Triplett Creek faced water quality problems

Triplett Creek flows into the Licking River and runs for about 23 miles through an 83.4-square-mile watershed in northeastern Kentucky. The watershed is dominated by forestland, with development growing around the City of Morehead in Rowan County.

Biological sampling in 1999 showed that the creek only partially supported its aquatic life designation.

Water quality modeling conducted as part of the Triplett Creek Watershed-Based Plan in 2013 pointed to a need for ammonia reductions. Five samples from Triplett Creek exceeded Kentucky’s water quality criterion of 0.05 milligrams per liter for un-ionized ammonia.

The impaired segment runs from miles 5.9 to 12.4 and covers about 6.5 miles. It was listed for siltation, nutrients and organic enrichment.

Flooding brought partners together

Severe flooding in the City of Morehead and surrounding areas in 2002 prompted concerned citizens and the city to look for proactive solutions.

That effort led to the formation of the Triplett Creek Committee, bringing together Rowan County concerned citizens, the Rowan County Solid Waste and Floodplain Coordinator, the U.S. Forest Service, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Kentucky Division of Water.

In 2008, Morehead State University received a $658,617 grant to develop the Triplett Creek Watershed-Based Plan.

The funding also supported 520 feet of streambank stabilization on Dry Creek, eight ephemeral wetlands, two stormwater wetlands on the main stem of Triplett Creek, seven rain gardens and the acquisition of 11 acres to protect riparian habitat.

Watershed plan identified more restoration needs

Released in October 2013, the Triplett Creek Watershed-Based Plan identified additional needs for riparian stabilization, stormwater management and livestock management.

Morehead State University received another $376,893 grant that year for additional best management practices identified in the plan.

The investments led to the development of Boone Hollan Wetland and Nature Park, which includes 6 acres of wetlands, native plants and walking paths.

The grantee and its partners also restored 900 feet of streambank along Triplett Creek, planted nearly 7 acres of native seeds, installed 15,775 square feet of cattle high-use areas, planted more than 400 trees and retrofitted a detention basin.

New stormwater ordinances were approved in 2015.

The City of Morehead and Gateway Area Development District are also planning a series of off-channel basins known as “Green Sinks.” The basins are intended to help mitigate recurring flooding, capture significant stormwater runoff from the city and create public greenspace and a trail system along Triplett Creek.

2019 and 2020 monitoring showed the segment met criteria

Kentucky DOW collected monitoring data in 2019 and 2020 and compared the results against water quality indicators for eutrophication and organic enrichment.

The results showed no impairments for nutrients or organic enrichment. The 12 samples collected at DOW site LRW007 during the two years also recorded no exceedances of Kentucky’s 0.05 mg/L water quality standard for un-ionized ammonia.

The segment met its warmwater aquatic designated use for eutrophication and organic enrichment.

Based on those results, Kentucky DOW removed the nutrients and organic enrichment impairments in the 2022 Integrated Report to Congress.

The original listing also included siltation; the supplied monitoring results document the removal of the nutrients and organic enrichment categories.

More than $1 million supported Section 319 work

The project received $1,035,510 through the Clean Water Act Section 319 Program. The City of Morehead provided $60,215 in matching funds, while Morehead State University contributed $190,072 in matching funding.

Other partners included the U.S. Forest Service, USDA-NRCS, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Division of Water and Rowan County.

The work included streambank stabilization, wetland creation, rain gardens, vegetative buffers, native plant restoration, tree planting, detention pond improvements and other conservation measures.

After years of watershed planning, restoration work and monitoring, the 6.5-mile Triplett Creek segment originally listed for siltation, nutrients and organic enrichment had the nutrients and organic enrichment impairment categories removed in 2022.