The Little River Watershed area in Christian County has been listed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Kentucky division of Water as an impaired watershed, which brings along with that designation certain cautions for humans and animals alike. 

To address this issue, The Little River Water Quality Consortium was formed to assess the current situation in the watershed, identify the cause and sources of contaminants, and work with those responsible to decrease the overall contaminant level in the river. 

In the beginning, $800,000 was raised to contract with the US Geological Service to conduct water testing along both the Northern and South Forks of Little River. Testing would include markers for Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Pesticides, Sediment discharge and E.coli. Specific E.coli markers were employed to discern the difference between bovine, human, and wildlife sources. 

The impact of this program to date has been the forming of a watershed plan with a consulting service from Lexington and the application of a grant from Kentucky Division of Water for remediation efforts throughout the watershed. An action plan has been implemented which will identify consumers wishes for the watershed, and these will be implemented into the overall watershed plan. Work will begin in the coming months to work with producers throughout the watershed to reduce surface runoff, identify potential sediment loading sites, and limit livestock access in areas where testing says its necessary.  

The role of Cooperative Extension in this program has been to facilitate the joining of the various groups serving on the consortium, identifying cooperating landowners interested in the project, and organizing meetings for disseminating information, as well as individual landowner education about Best Management Practices, Nutrient Management, and the Ag Water Quality Program.