Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007KY95B

Development and Application of a New Sediment Fingerprinting Methodology

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-03-01 End Date: 2008-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,089

Principal Investigators: James Fox

Project Summary: Suspended sediment derived from upland erosion in a watershed represents one of the predominant pollution sources impacting surface waters in the Kentucky River Basin. Severe problems can result from sedimentation within the Kentucky River Basin. These problems include increased turbidity and the addition of hazardous chemicals adsorbed onto eroded soil particles. The environmental impacts include degraded water quality, degraded aquatic ecosystem health, and an aesthetically displeasing river for recreational use. The overall objective of this project is to develop a succinct methodology for sediment fingerprinting applicable to sedimentation studies within the Kentucky River Basin. The developed methodology will not be site-specific; rather, a general fingerprinting methodology will be developed that can be utilized throughout Kentucky for the purpose of developing erosion control strategies. This methodology will initially be applied to a study completed within the Red River sub-watershed.