Kentucky has over 90,000 miles of streams and rivers, with many of those stream miles passing through urban landscapes. To help address homeowner concerns related to backyard streams, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service water specialists developed a Backyard Streams program. This program includes an online course with 12 learning modules, publications, workshops, videos, and a website housing these resources. For several years citizen volunteers have completed the modules and have received Backyard Stream Steward certificates. Extension specialists have partnered with Friends of Wolf Run Watershed, Andover Neighborhoods, and horticulture agents across the state to offer focused workshops and presentations for residential audiences, highlighting best practices for stream stewardship and assisting in the development of on-the-ground streamside buffer plantings.

As a result of the partnership with Friends of Wolf Run Watershed, a project to evaluate effectiveness of small-scale residential stormwater practices is underway. Two residences in the watershed have begun stormwater management practices and Extension specialists have worked with them to capture before and after imagery to assess practice effectiveness during rainfall events. At least two more projects will be installed in Fall 2021. In addition, UK Extension staff facilitated a watershed tour on June 4, 2021. During the tour 35 residents and water professionals explored five watershed restoration areas in Wolf Run watershed and discussed successes and challenges with the projects.

As a result of the partnership with Andover Neighborhoods a wetland planting was designed in spring 2021 and installed on June 17, 2021 with 10 neighbors attending. This planting will serve as a demonstration area for neighbors and help educate the community about native plants and their benefits to water quality.

Extension staff play a key role in facilitating watershed leader interactions in Wolf Run Watershed and beyond, exemplified by a virtual meetup held in February 2021. This virtual meetup brought together watershed leaders from several counties and two states and provided a platform for peer-to-peer learning on critical watershed restoration topics. Extension staff also offered a stream buffer course through Horticulture’s Webinar Wednesday platform, which has led to collaboration in another urban watershed.