A watershed is an area of land where all of the rainwater that falls on it drains to the same place. Lexington has seven urban and two rural watersheds. South Elkhorn is located in the southwest part of Fayette County.
Watershed monitoring in South Elkhorn
Watershed monitoring is an important tool to improve Lexington's water quality. Currently, Lexington is performing water quality tests at different stream locations to help determine what pollutants to focus on to improve water quality. This is a multi-year project that will go from watershed to watershed. The results for South Elkhorn include the parameter (the pollutant being measured); sources (where that pollutant comes from) and the monitoring results tell us the pollutants we need to work on most. In South Elkhorn, for example, we're doing a good job keeping soap and fertilizer out of our waterways, but we need to make sure we're also picking up pet waste on walks and in yards.
| E. Coli | Sewage, animal waste, livestock manure | Very poor |
| Total Suspended Solids | Upland or channel soil erosion; muddy water | Very good |
| Temperature | Runoff from excessively hot parking lots or roads; lack of shade typically provided by trees growing along creek banks |
Very good |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Availability of oxygen for fish and other organisms to breathe |
Very good |
| pH | The presence of too much acidity or too much alkalinity; neutral levels are needed for fish and other organisms |
Very good |
| Conductivity | Dissolved solids, various salts, organic matter | Poor |
| Chlorine | Water line break, swimming pool discharge |
Very good |
| Detergents |
Sewage, graywater, outdoor washing of vehicles, floor mats, etc. |
Very good |
|
Ammonia-Nitrogen |
Sewage, animal waste, livestock manure |
Very good |
| Nitrate-Nitrogen | Excess fertilizer / manure runoff; too much can promote algae growth | Poor |
| Total Phosphorus | Excess fertilizer / manure runoff; too much can promote algae growth | Good |
| Stream Habitat | Places where fish and other organisms can live | Poor |
| Aquatic Bugs / Critters | Conditions that support fish and other aquatic life | Fair |
Watershed resources
Sanitary Sewer projects
- Pump at South Elkhorn PS
- Mint Lane Trunk
- Mint Lane Pump Station Upgrades