For the past 23 years the Breathitt County Natural Resources Committee and Extension Office have partnered for an annual canoe trip down the north fork of the KY river. It's approximately a 10 mile trip from Douthitt Park to the Martha Layne Collins Bridge and there is a lot to see along the way. After the July 2022 flooding things were different along the way, and ANR agent Reed Graham along with Extension Water Quality Specialist Amanda Gumbert scheduled the trip to talk about those changes.

Teaching people water safety was the first priority, that was covered by a local volunteer with a lot of first had experience before anyone entered the water. Once traveling down the river Amanda had everyone stop at a popular spot to highlight reasons why buffer zones were important for preventing erosion, and the importance of stream bank vegetation. All along the trip there were opportunities to learn about historic area's of importance in the county.

The participants ranged in experience from 1st time boaters to people who had years of experience, and they were all there to have an enjoyable day on the water.

For this trip the extension service also partnered with the local park service who provided the canoes, our public library who provided a map highlighting historic places along the route, and a local school that provided bus transportation back to our starting location. 

100% of surveyed participants gained knowledge on water safety and the importance of preventing erosion and boating safety.