The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

Let’s Clean Up Beargrass Creek Today
Justin B. Faith
Going from the clean, high-quality aquatic water located at Harrod’s Creek to the green,
slimy substance that covered the polluted waters of Beargrass Creek made me realize the vast
differences in watersheds here in Louisville, Kentucky. My “Urban Waters” class participated in
the Annual Beargrass Creek Clean Sweep in order to learn about the watershed and to make a
difference in the community by helping clean it up. It was quite an experience paddling through
the poor quality water that was not safe for human contact and could not support aquatic life. It
was extremely disappointing that the waters had been polluted so badly that we did not even
need to do a water quality test to determine the high contamination level of the water. Although
my class was not able to make a huge impact in cleaning the stream in the few hours we were
there, it did leave a large impression on every individual there to do their part in the future to
clean the watershed. Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces has been a large problem in
this creek responsible for reducing the amount of oxygen in the water, which creates a lack of
support needed to ensure a diversity of aquatic life including fish and many macroinvertabrates.
The three forks of Beargrass Creek drain into downtown Louisville and provide much
water to our city, so it is imperative that citizens do their part to help address water quality issues
both as private individuals and public entities. Our overarching goal for Beargrass Creek should
be to provide a stream of water that is safe for human contact. The success of the watershed will
depend on local clean-water efforts, like the Beargrass Creek Cleanup, and ensuring that people
are educated about how to improve the water quality by being proactive in things like planting
native species, not littering, picking up after pets, recycling, and planting rain gardens.
Beargrass Creek can be healthy and vibrant for future generations to use if we start
adopting environmentally friendly practices today. Now is the time for this key watershed of
Louisville to become a top priority of the public. I hope to continue going to watershed cleanups
in the future to better educate myself and others of the importance of clean water in our
community. Hopefully one day, students of a future “Urban Waters” class will be able to paddle
down a clear, high water quality Beargrass Creek and learn about the impact that individuals
before them had on the watershed.
7