Monitoring the Kentucky River Nitrate and Ammonia Levels

The Kentucky River Basin extends over much of the central and eastern portions of the state and is home to approximately 710,000 Kentuckians. The watershed includes all or part of 42 counties and drains over 7,000 square miles with a tributary network of \u3e15,000 miles. Concerns about soil erosion, nutrient runoff, loss of soil organic matter, and the impairment of environmental quality from sedimentation and pollution of natural water resources by agrochemicals, N, P, trace-elements, and other environmental contaminants have stimulated interest in proper management of natural water resources. Three locations along the Kentucky River were monitored for concentrations of ammonia-N, nitrate-N, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and water conductivity. Water samples collected from Franklin County contained 0.22 mg/L, 0.63 mg/L, 8.4 mg/L, 7.7, and 435 µS/cm. of ammonia-N, nitrate-N, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and water conductivity, respectively. Water samples collected from Henry County contained 0.18, 2.19, 7.6, 7.97, and 389 of ammonia-N, nitrate-N, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and water conductivity, respectively, whereas water samples collected from Woodford County contained 0.08, 0.96, 8.59, 8.12, and 498 of ammonia-N, nitrate-N, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and water conductivity, respectively. These levels (except for ammonia) are below the water quality standard levels for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Our future objectives will be to monitor the water quality of the entire river basin