Protecting, Restoring & Celebrating Kentucky’s Waterways
Member-supported nonprofit since 1993
Main Initiative
A Defender and Steward of Kentucky’s Waters
Kentucky Waterways Alliance serves as a defender and steward of the waters of the Commonwealth and the people, wildlife, and habitats that depend on them. We work across Kentucky to protect clean water, restore damaged waterways, and strengthen the communities connected to them.
Through advocacy, public policy, restoration, education, and partnership, we help ensure that Kentucky’s rivers, streams, wetlands, and lakes remain healthy, accessible, and resilient for generations to come.
See A Tire, Report a Tire
Discarded tires pollute waterways, create public health hazards, and degrade habitat across Kentucky. Help us identify and remove illegal tire dumps by reporting tires in or near streams, rivers, and lakes.
Join the Movement
Clean water depends on informed and engaged citizens. Join Kentucky Waterways Alliance to stay informed, support our work, and help protect the rivers, streams, wetlands, and lakes that sustain our Commonwealth.
How We Protect
The best way to protect Kentucky’s waters is to prevent harm before it occurs. Kentucky Waterways Alliance works to advance sound public policy, promote science-based decision making, and ensure that communities have a voice in the choices that affect their waterways.
We monitor emerging threats, advocate for strong protections, and, when necessary, use legal and regulatory tools to defend Kentucky’s waters. By strengthening local stewardship, supporting informed public participation, and bringing together citizens, watershed groups scientists, and policymakers, we help safeguard the rivers, streams, wetlands, and lakes that sustain life across the Commonwealth.
What we’re Restoring
Healthy waterways are essential to healthy communities. Kentucky Waterways Alliance works with local partners, agencies, and communities to restore damaged streams, improve watershed health, and reconnect people to the waters that sustain them.
From removing barriers to aquatic life and reducing pollution to supporting local restoration projects and securing resources for long-term stewardship, we help turn concern into action and action into lasting improvements for Kentucky’s waters.
Removal of Barren River Dam 1 in 2022 as part of restoration work.
Cold-water habitat designation preserved for 16 Kentucky streams (trout streams).
Over 50 watershed groups across Kentucky helped to protect rivers & streams.
Removal of Barren River Dam 1 in 2022 as part of restoration work.
Cold-water habitat designation preserved for 16 Kentucky streams (trout streams).
Over 50 watershed groups across Kentucky helped to protect rivers & streams.
Aug 20th, 2026
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How We Celebrate
People protect what they love. Kentucky Waterways Alliance works to foster meaningful connections between people and the waters that shape their communities, landscapes, and quality of life.
Through paddles, cleanups, educational programs, publications, films, and public events, we create opportunities for Kentuckians to experience, enjoy, and learn from the Commonwealth’s waterways. By building a deeper appreciation for these shared resources, we help cultivate the stewardship needed to protect them for generations to come.
Get Involved
Kentucky Waterways Alliance is a membership organization dedicated to the protection, restoration, and celebration of our state’s greatest natural resource – our precious waterways.
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