In 1997, the Division of Water launched its watershed management program. This program was a public outreach effort to promote the new watershed management plan and enlist volunteers to help in the assessment of the waterways in Kentucky. Since 1997, Watershed Watch in Kentucky has trained nearly 4,000 volunteers and currently has approximately 2,000 volunteers that continue to sample across the state. There are monitoring stations in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.
Watershed Watch offers training to citizens interested in water quality. Volunteers are trained on how to take a qualified water sample that is analyzed by professional labs. They are also trained on how to perform basic water quality field data, consisting of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity. Volunteers can also be trained to perform biological and habitat assessments. To learn more about this and other outreach programs, visit our Community Outreach page.