On-site Research

Revegetation Process

Plant Species Lists

Thomas More College Report

The meadow before stream relocation

The initial stages of stream restoration

Wilson Creek after restoration but
before revegetation

The restored streambed

Overview of the Project

What Do Streams Do?
Streams do more than just move excess water from one place to another.  They also:
        • filter pollutants from the runoff
        • recycle nutrients
        • absorb and gradually release floodwater
        • recharge groundwater and
        • provide habitat for micro- and macro-invertebrates as well as wildlife.

Streams and their associated wetlands are essential to healthy environments but human impact has altered stream quality in a variety of ways.

History of Wilson Creek
Wilson Creek flows through a valley in Bernheim much as it did before European settlers came to the area.  Sometime in the past, the stream channel was realigned into a much straighter line perhaps to allow for farming the fertile bottomland. This change resulted in a stream channel that had cut down to bedrock and acted much like a drainage ditch by swiftly moving water through the watershed without time for sediment to settle and impurities to filter out.

Stream Restoration
By 2003, after more than a year of planning, the stream channel was restored to its more natural meandering course thanks to the efforts of Bernheim, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. The work was funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant and was overseen by the Kentucky Division of Water.

Aerial photographs and cores helped locate the old stream bed. Some 2,700 feet of the stream was realigned adding 500 feet to its length as it winds through the valley. The stream was designed to allow the banks to overflow and spread out into the floodplain. Additionally, some low areas designed as seasonal wetlands are also along the floodplain. Cobblestones collected from the along the stream were placed in the streambed and logs were placed along the way. These activities restore habitat for both macro-invertebrates and fish The restored channel is now able to access the floodplain during flood events. This allows sediment, nutrients and toxins to be removed from the water before it moves on downstream. The old streambed had dug so deeply into the ground that its banks were high and did not allow for water to get over the banks instead shooting it on downstream along with sediment and possible pollutants. The result of creating a floodplain is better water quality because, as natural habitats are re-established, microorganisms and vegetation serve to remove pollutants and naturally purify the water.

Once the stream bed was restored, more than 40 different plant species were planted along the bank and in the surrounding floodplain. The majority of the species came from seed collected in Bernheim. Most of the trees were grown at a Kentucky Department of Forestry nursery before being transplanted at the site.

The Wilson Creek project will continue to be followed and monitored over time to determine the overall success as well as to see what needs to be changed.

Educational Activities
The site is actively used for educational programs and workshops on streams and stream restoration. It is used to educate professional groups, college biology classes from across the state, as well as K-12 students who visit Bernheim. It is also used as a site for training sessions with agents for agriculture and natural resources.

The Wilson Creek Restoration Site is an extremely important educational tool to help landowners understand what they can do to restore streams and improve water quality as well as wildlife habitat and that there is state and federal cost share money available to help. Something as simple as fencing cattle out and planting trees native to the region can mean improvements in the health of a stream.

Wilson Creek is a stream with very good water quality. This project helps ensure the stream’s future ability to purify water and maintain good habitat especially as development occurs upstream.

Dr. Art Parola of the University of Louisville with a class at the stream restoration site

Programs are offered to both professionals and landowners