Streams and rivers are plentiful in Kentucky from small mountain brooks to large rivers such as the Mississippi River along the Commonwealth’s western border and the Ohio River along its northern border (Figure 1). Kentucky has more than 90,000 miles of streams and contains more navigable water than any other state except Alaska. These streams provide important ecological services such as transporting water, sediment and nutrients and providing habitats to aquatic organisms such as fish and macroinvertebrates and terrestrial ones such as deer and birds. Streams also provide societal services, including drinking water, transportation and recreation. Careful management of these waterbodies is therefore important.

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