Letcher County: The Head of Three Rivers Project

Contact Information

Background:
Letcher County is situated at the headwaters of three major rivers, The Kentucky River, The Big Sandy River, and the Cumberland River. In fact, no streams flow into Letcher County. Yet, the streams within Letcher County are severely polluted with a combination of AMDs and raw sewage pathogens. The areas where the effects of these problems are the most acute are coal camp towns that were hastily constructed without consideration of public utilities. Once the companies moved out, the homes and the people stayed with a legacy of environmental difficulties. Multiple generations have grown up knowing that their water is contaminated yet without the capability to confront it. Within the past ten years a major effort has been made to confront these problems resulting in the formation of a countywide water and sewer district to serve homes throughout the county. Yet a need exists for community involvement and participation that cannot be met by a public utility. The OSM/VISTA is working to spread awareness of environmental problems and solutions by connecting scientific data with community knowledge and working with local citizens to build momentum towards change.

The Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute is a new organization whose mission is to serve as an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional approach to understanding eastern Kentuckyâs ecosystems; connecting the universityâs technical expertise and resources to the regionâs needs; and linking this research to math and science education at the university and throughout the region. This is accomplished through a combination of approaches including building local community capacity to address environmental problems by providing technical expertise, and partnering with local formal and non-formal educators to involve community members in ongoing environmental monitoring, research, and restoration/ preservation activities.

Goals and Accomplishments:
The first major goal of the OSM/VISTA has been to compile as much existing information about Letcher Countyâs waterways as possible. This has included gathering scientific data, reports from government projects, and researching local histories. This is an ongoing process but significant progress has been made. Having this background knowledge makes it possible to work with schools and community groups to share this information with the people that live by the streams to encourage involvement in future projects.

As local people become involved with these projects the OSM/VISTA helps increase media presence and raise funds so that momentum is built from each effort. For example after some high school students sampled a creek in town and found high fecal counts, the OSM/VISTA spoke with their class and encouraged them to take their concerns to the local fiscal court. The students arranged a presentation and the OSM/VISTA wrote up a press release. This increased the awareness of their efforts and lead to the students being asked to meet with kids from an after school program hosted by a local community center. Currently the OSM/VISTA is fundraising to create possibilities for further efforts.

Partners and Contributors:

• Letcher County Water & Sewer District
• Letcher County Board of Tourism
• HOMES, Inc.
• Letcher County Central High School
• Cowan Community Center