Success StoryStormwater Reduction Workshops in Daviess County



Stormwater Reduction Workshops in Daviess County

Author: Brad Lee

Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences

Major Program: Water and Soil Quality and Conservation

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Rain barrels are a great way to get the public involved and raise awareness for water conservation and management around the home.  We, my program and Dr. Annette Heisdorffer, Horticulture Agent at the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Office), have partnered with the Owensboro Regional Water Resource Agency for 9 years to deliver a rain barrel workshop for Owensboro residents and surrounding communities.  After five consecutive annual workshops pre-pandemic, this workshop resumed on spring of 2023 post-pandemic.  As in pre-pandemic years, two hands-on, workshop sessions of 25 people each were sold out ($20/participant) and waiting lists were developed.  The 50 participants learned about water conservation around the home, construction, installation, operation, maintenance, and safety related to rain barrels at home.  Each participant went home with a constructed rain-barrel worth over $60 in parts, as well as written instructions how to safely utilize the water collected from a barrel.  A few months later the same group of collaborators offered a rain garden workshop to 10 participants who learned how to design and construct a residential rain garden via a hands-on workshop involving the rebuilding of the Daviess County CES office rain garden.






Stories by Plant and Soil Sciences


Small Horse Farm Improves Forage from UK Equine Pasture Evaluation Program

Small Horse Farm Improves Forage from UK Equine Pasture Evaluation Program

about 3 years ago by Jimmy Henning

In 2016, Paul and Melita Knapper were the first farm to be enrolled in the RCPP Overgrazing and Soil... Read More


Fescue eradication and improved management increases profits for Central Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm

Fescue eradication and improved management increases profits for Central Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm

about 3 years ago by Jimmy Henning

A central Kentucky thoroughbred horse farm experienced a high incidence of fescue toxicosis symptoms... Read More