The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service finalized and published a rule to protect critical habitat for the Fluted Kidneyshell. Critical watershed habitat has been designated for the following Kentucky streams & associated counties:
- Horse Lick Creek (Rockcastle and Jackson);
- Middle Fork Rockcastle River (Jackson);
- Rockcastle River (Pulaski, Laurel and Rockcastle);
- Buck Creek (Pulaski)
- Rock Creek (McCreary)
- Little South Fork Cumberland River (McCreary and Wayne)
Click here for a map.
The Kentucky Division of Water can now list these streams or stream segments as Outstanding State Resource Waters (OSRW). Those are surface waters designated by the Energy and Environment Cabinet pursuant to 401 KAR 10:031, Section 8, and includes certain unique waters of the Commonwealth, including those with federally threatened or endangered species. What’s interesting about KDOW’s listing process is they don’t have to public notice these changes. Of course they would be listed on the next addition of the 303(d) and 305(b) lists that come out every two years.