Buck Creek Stream and Wetland Restoration Project
In the summer of 2005 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased a tract of land
in Northern Pulaski County consisting of approximately 270 acres along 1 mile of Buck
Creek. The tract was setup to be sold at an auction, and it had already been divided up
into smaller lots and tracts for the auction. Luckily, TNC was able to purchase the
property before the auction keeping it as one large tract. The property had been a dairy
farm for several years, but for the last six or seven years about 100 acres of the property
had been in row crops. Of the total 270 acres approximately 170 is cleared and 100 is
forested.
The wetland restoration portion of the overall project was kicked off this spring
by applying 150 acres of the property for enrollment into the Wetland Reserve Program
(WRP), which was recently approved for funding. This program is processed by the
United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service. The
WRP program provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to
address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on
private lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. The contract
for this property was setup for a permanent easement on the 150 acres enrolled in the
program. The easement will set the area aside for wetland restoration by restoring the
hydrology. The landowner still controls the access to the property along with the right of
non-developed recreational activities, such as hunting and fishing. Finally, this WRP
contract will only be the second WRP contract in Pulaski County.
Currently, there is a large-scale stream restoration project in the planning and
designing stage for the property. This project will be one of the largest projects ever
undertaken in this part of the country. The main stem of Buck Creek will be restored
back to its original condition through this one mile stretch, and Buck Creek will regain
several meanders adding to its overall length. In fact, what is currently one mile will
become approximately three miles when the project is completed. Also, there will be a
significant increase in the number of riffle sections, which will greatly increase the
aquatic habitat. . There will also be several thousand feet of tributaries restored through
this project. In fact, phase I of the project will be getting started in the summer of 2007
with a section of an unnamed tributary on the property. The funding for phase I will be
using In-lieu-fee Trust funds through Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
(KDFWR). The remaining project will be funded through a partnership among the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, TNC, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Upon completion of construction the entire area will be allowed to settle and gain
vegetative cover before the stream flow is diverted into the new channels. Then
(KDFWR) will work to reintroduce some of the rare species of fish and mussels back into
the system. Finally, after completion the entire area around the restored stream channels
will be planted in bottomland hardwood species native to the area.
Pulaski County is in the process of purchasing approximately 40 acres of the
woodland through The Heritage Land Conservation Fund (HLCF), which is set to
become a natural area with a walking trail. The HLCF is monies used to purchase land
from willing sellers for nature preserves, wildlife management areas, environment
education areas, and other such areas. The monies to form this fund come from the
Kentucky Nature License Plates, which are $10 annually above the regular registration
fee.
Other partners that were not mentioned above that will play a key role in the
success of this project are: Pulaski County Soil and Water Conservation District,
Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board, Kentucky Division of Water,
Kentucky Mitigation Review Team, and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. In conclusion,
TNC hopes that this project will greatly expand and improve the habitat for all species of
mussels and fish in Buck Creek, but especially those rare species that we are on the verge
of losing.