This agreement provides funding in the amount of $168,775 to kentucky's energy and environment cabinet to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its rivers,…

EPA Region 4 awarded the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet $168,775 on January 1, 2026, under the Water Pollution Control State, Interstate, and Tribal Program Support program (CFDA 66.419) to maintain, protect, and improve water quality across Kentucky's rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies.

The award funds three primary activities. First, the Kentucky Department of Water will expand its reference wetland trend monitoring program to include environmental monitoring at ten additional sites in the Pennyroyal and Mississippi Valley Interior River bioregions, delivering ten avian and vegetation surveys, ten Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method ratings, and sixty water samples with in situ water quality measurements. Second, the program will inform nutrient management in the Floyds Fork Watershed through updated biological surveys and continuous physico-chemical monitoring in sub-watersheds where documented changes in point-source loadings have occurred in the last ten years. Third, the award supports continued development of Kentucky's data management and reporting systems: the Kentucky Assessment and TMDL Tracking System (KATTS) and Kentucky Assessment Data for Environmental Monitoring (K-WADE). The IT database enhancements include improved data entry modes with batch upload tools, historical data correction features, enhanced geospatial data management for waterbodies and assessment units, and initiation of new modules to manage harmful algal bloom information, waterbody special designated uses, and wetlands monitoring data.

The award runs through December 31, 2029, with performance taking place in Kentucky. The assistance type is a formula grant.

This agreement provides funding in the amount of $168,775 to kentucky's energy and environment cabinet to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies. The environmental benefits of this program include preventing degradation of unimpaired waterbodies and reducing the number of impaired waterbodies in the state. Activities:activities include expanding kentucky department of water's (DOW) reference wetland trend monitoring program to include environmental monitoring at an additional 10 sites in the pennyroyal and mississippi valley interior river bioregions; informing the management of nutrients in the floyds fork watershed with updated biological surveys and continuous physico-chemical monitoring in sub-watersheds where documented changes in point-source loadings have occurred in the last ten years; and improving DOW's data management and reporting capabilities through the continued development of kentucky assessment and tmdl tracking system (katts), kentucky assessment data for environmental monitoring (k-wade), and special waters applications. Subrecipient:funds will also provide for additional IT database support to enhance the kentucky assessment data for environmental monitoring (k-wade) and kentucky assessment and tmdl tracking system (katts) by implementing improved data entry modes to include batch upload tools and features to support corrections to historical data, improve and enhance management of geospatial data related to waterbodies, assessment units, watershed drainage areas, and monitoring locations, and initiate work on new modules to manage harmful algal bloom information, waterbody special designated uses, and wetlands monitoring data.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: 10 avian and vegetation surveys, 10 KY-wram ratings, and 60 water samples and in situ water quality measurements within wetlands of the pennyroyal and mississippi valley interior river bioregions. The expected outcomes include enhanced monitoring capacity across all programs will result in an increased number of water quality and biological assessments. The direct beneficiaries of the agreement are the residents of the kentucky.