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39-710: The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River in Kentucky , United States. The 260-mile (420 km) river and its tributaries drain much of eastern and central Kentucky, passing through the Eastern Coalfield , the Cumberland Mountains , and the Bluegrass region . Its watershed encompasses about 7,000 square miles (18,000 km), and it supplies drinking water to about one-sixth of

78-596: A Red River dam that would have flooded most of the river's gorge, was ultimately abandoned in 1975. The Kentucky River basin, including the three Forks and their tributaries, suffered a major flood in January and February 1957, although that did not exceed the highest on record on North Fork (and on its tributary Troublesome Creek ), the Goose Creek tributary of South Fork, and Carr Fork, all of which had had higher local floods at that point. The 1957 flood also affected

117-400: A new river, to be given its own name, perhaps one already known to the people who live upon its banks. Conversely, explorers approaching a new land from the sea encounter its rivers at their mouths, where they name them on their charts, then, following a river upstream, encounter each tributary as a forking of the stream to the right and to the left, which then appear on their charts as such; or

156-400: A river or stream that branches off from and flows away from the main stream. Distributaries are most often found in river deltas . Right tributary , or right-bank tributary , and left tributary , or left-bank tributary , describe the orientation of the tributary relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing

195-449: Is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ( main stem or "parent" ), river, or a lake . A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean . Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater , leading the water out into an ocean. The Irtysh is a chief tributary of the Ob river and

234-411: Is also the longest tributary river in the world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi). The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m /s (1.1 million cu ft/s). A confluence , where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary ,

273-579: Is approximately 168 miles (270 km) long. At Airdale, the North Fork has a mean average discharge of approximately 863 cubic feet per second, per data collected during the period 1930–1942. The Middle Fork Kentucky River is approximately 105 miles (169 km) long. At Tallega , the Middle Fork has a mean annual discharge of 792 cubic feet per second. The South Fork Kentucky River is approximately 45 miles (72 km) long. At Booneville ,

312-765: Is estimated that more than 700,000 people depend on the river for water. The main stem of the Kentucky River is formed near Beattyville in Lee County by the confluence of the North, Middle, and South Forks. The river flows generally northwest, in a highly meandering course through the Eastern Coalfield and the Daniel Boone National Forest before turning southwest north of Richmond and then north through Frankfort . It joins

351-618: Is joined by Elkhorn Creek , which drains much of the Inner Bluegrass region. Between Clays Ferry in Madison County and Frankfort, the river passes through the Kentucky River Palisades , a series of dramatic steep gorges approximately 100 miles (160 km) in length. The Kentucky River has three major forks: the North, Middle, and South Forks. The Middle and North Forks join near Beattyville to form

390-602: The Big Sandy River , the Cumberland River , and the Tennessee River . The total cost of damages was estimated at US$ 15,000,000 (equivalent to $ 162,725,118 in 2023) in the Kentucky River basin, out of US$ 52,000,000 (equivalent to $ 564,113,744 in 2023) across Kentucky as a whole. It also affected south-western West Virginia, western Virginia, and north-eastern Tennessee, but Kentucky state

429-606: The Great Depression . An Ohio River flood in 1936 backed into the lower Kentucky; the crest reached 42.7 feet (13.0 m) high and flooded half of Frankfort, completely isolating the city. 12,000 square miles (31,000 km) of the Ohio Valley were flooded in all. Severe flooding in 1937, exacerbated by cold weather, resulted in civil unrest. In the Kentucky State Reformatory at Frankfort,

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468-562: The Kentucky River, which is joined in turn just downstream of Beattyville by the South Fork. The area between the confluence of the North and Middle Forks and where the South Fork joins is known locally as The Three Forks Country . Between them, the three forks drain nearly 3 ⁄ 5 of the 4,423-square-mile (114.6 Ma) central portion of the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield area. The North Fork Kentucky River

507-699: The Ohio River at Carrollton . Approximately 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Boonesborough , the Kentucky is joined by the Red River . Approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Boonesborough, it is joined by Silver Creek . At High Bridge , it is joined by the Dix River . At Frankfort, it is joined by Benson Creek; this confluence was the junction of Kentucky's three original counties. At Monterey, approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Frankfort, it

546-434: The South Fork has a mean annual discharge of 1,052 cubic feet per second. The Kentucky River basin is subject to regular flooding caused by high rainfall. The river's narrow valley and surrounding rocky terrain cause rainwater to run off into many ephemeral creeks rather than being absorbed into the soil. Much of the built environment in the area is located along the creek beds. Kentucky River flooding has been recorded since

585-418: The South Fork portion being 42 miles (68 km) and 131.5 feet (40.1 m) of that. It recorded the width as varying between 150 and 200 feet (46 and 61 m). The Kentucky River basin, including South Fork and its tributaries, suffered a major flood in January and February 1957, although that did not exceed the highest on record for South Fork specifically, as Goose Creek's record at that point had been

624-580: The South Fork, but this proposal was unpopular as the dam would create a reservoir backing up the South Fork for over 28 miles (45 km). In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Flood Control Act of 1938 , which authorized the construction or study of many dams and reservoirs by the Army Corps of Engineers . Only two small lakes, Carr Fork and Buckhorn, were created in the Kentucky River watershed. The most controversial project,

663-629: The biggest impediments was an area known as The Narrows , a 1.2-mile-long (1.9 km) reach of the river 4.5 miles (7.2 km) downstream of the Goose Creek/Red Bird fork where it descended by 12.5 feet (3.8 m). A survey of the reach between the Salt Works and the Soft Fork mouth was performed in 1836–1837. It recorded the entire length as 68.5 miles (110.2 km) descending 206.7 feet (63.0 m) in total, with

702-638: The coal mines in Perry, Letcher, Floyd, and Pike Counties, were shut down. Ninety-six cable-suspended footbridges providing access to highways were destroyed. The river provides excellent fishing. The largest goldeye ever taken in the state of Kentucky (2.04 pounds or 0.93 kilograms) was caught in the Kentucky River in 2001, as was the 65.06-pound (29.51 kg) state-record bighead carp , caught in 2020. 38°41′0″N 85°11′18″W  /  38.68333°N 85.18833°W  / 38.68333; -85.18833 Tributary A tributary , or an affluent ,

741-421: The direction the water current of the main stem is going. In a navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards

780-474: The early 1800s. Swiss immigrant and lock-keeper Frank Wurtz recorded floods from 1867 on and spoke with local farmers to learn of earlier ones in 1817, 1832, 1847, and 1854. Wurtz documented the floods of 1867, 1880, and 1883, which he claims was five feet higher than the high tide of the 1847 flood. The waters of the 1883 flood washed his post away. On January 1, 1919, the waters rose ten feet in as many hours at Frankfort, causing damage to many smaller towns along

819-456: The first-order tributary being typically the least in size. For example, a second-order tributary would be the result of two or more first-order tributaries combining to form the second-order tributary. Another method is to list tributaries from mouth to source, in the form of a tree structure , stored as a tree data structure . South Fork Kentucky River It was not originally named South Fork. Two of its three major tributaries are

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858-583: The flood of June and July 1947. Peak water levels at Manchester were 2 feet (0.61 m) lower than those of the 1947 flood. However at Booneville the peak levels were 1.7 feet (0.52 m) higher than those of 1947. 25 homes and 34 commercial buildings were flooded in Manchester; with an estimate cost of the damage exceeding US$ 200,000 (equivalent to $ 2,169,668 in 2023). 20 homes and 10 other buildings were flooded in Oneida, with approximately 80% of

897-863: The floods within Kentucky state was measured in the Pikeville area, with 6 to 9 inches (15 to 23 cm) over much of the flood area and 12.5 inches (32 cm) at the headwaters of Middle Fork. The highest peak river discharges then on record were measured along all three Forks of the Kentucky River. There were no early warnings of the floods, as communications were disrupted. Approximately 7,700 telephones and 103 long-distance telephone lines were taken out of service. Most people had to evacuate their homes rapidly without time to transport their possessions. Water supplies were contaminated, natural gas supplies were cut off making it difficult to cook, and food shortages occurred because of damage to food stocks on people's homes and in local stores. President Eisenhower declared

936-463: The floodwaters. In Mercer County , the ferry to Woodford County washed away and was never replaced. A flood in 1939 rose slightly higher in Hazard than the flood in 1937. Residents of the Kentucky River watershed demanded the federal government do more to control floods. Kentucky Hydro-Electric had begun pushing as early as 1925 for a 162-foot (49 m) dam 1 mile (1.6 km) above Booneville on

975-484: The forks at its head, the Red Bird River and Goose Creek , whose confluence is at Oneida . Before the 19th century, Goose Creek also incorporated what is today known as South Fork Kentucky River. It flows generally north in a highly meandering course through the mountainous Cumberland Plateau region. Several largely ineffective attempts were made in the 19th century to make South Fork navigable all of

1014-451: The handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream. For instance, Steer Creek has a left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. These naming conventions are reflective of the circumstances of a particular river's identification and charting: people living along the banks of a river, with a name known to them, may then float down the river in exploration, and each tributary joining it as they pass by appears as

1053-469: The opposite bank before approaching the confluence. An early tributary is a tributary that joins the main stem river closer to its source than its mouth, that is, before the river's midpoint ; a late tributary joins the main stem further downstream, closer to its mouth than to its source, that is, after the midpoint. In the United States, where tributaries sometimes have the same name as

1092-418: The population of the state. The river is no longer navigable above Lock 4 at Frankfort , as concrete bulkheads have been poured behind the upper lock gates of Locks 5–14 to strengthen the dam structures. All fourteen dams are managed by the state-run Kentucky River Authority . The primary importance of the locks today is to maintain a pool that allows the city of Lexington to draw its drinking water from

1131-493: The region a disaster area. The Red Cross, one of several relief organizations that came to aid alongside the federal and state governments, reported the destruction of 597 homes, major damage to another 2,932 homes, and minor damage to a further 8,740. Nine people died. Several rural school buildings were entirely destroyed, and many others were closed either because of damage or because transportation disruption meant that people simply could not get to them. The most costly school loss

1170-666: The river into which they feed, they are called forks . These are typically designated by compass direction. For example, the American River in California receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago River 's North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork; the South Branch has its South Fork, and used to have a West Fork as well (now filled in). Forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here,

1209-485: The river. Although the Lexington area receives well over 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation annually, the limestone karst geology of the area allows little natural surface water. The cities of Winchester , Beattyville , Irvine , Richmond , Lancaster , Nicholasville , Harrodsburg , Wilmore , Versailles , Lawrenceburg , and Frankfort also draw water from the river for their municipal water supplies. It

Kentucky River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-513: The river. In November of the same year, the waters rose three feet in one hour at Frankfort. In 1920, flooding caused the sewers in Frankfort to back up. There was also major flooding in early 1924 and late December 1926. Flooding in 1927 caused widespread damage to the Kentucky River basin in communities such as Neon , Whitesburg , and Hazard . Hundreds of people were forced from their homes. The Kentucky River basin endured many floods during

1287-418: The smaller stream designated the little fork, the larger either retaining its name unmodified, or receives the designation big . Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river and ending with those nearest to the mouth of the river . The Strahler stream order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third and higher orders, with

1326-432: The streams are seen to diverge by the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west) in which they proceed upstream, sometimes a third stream entering between two others is designated the middle fork; or the streams are distinguished by the relative height of one to the other, as one stream descending over a cataract into another becomes the upper fork, and the one it descends into, the lower ; or by relative volume:

1365-455: The water rose to 6 feet (1.8 m) in the walls. With the downstairs population moving up a floor, racial tensions erupted. 24 prisoners tried to escape, but after a warning shot was fired, only one man left. No clean water or food was left in the prison, so authorities moved the population of 2,900 to the "feeble-minded institute" on the hill next to the prison. Carpenters were brought in to build small, temporary housing units. The National Guard

1404-513: The way upstream to the Goose Creek Salt Works . An Act of the legislature on 1811-01-10 enabled a lottery to raise US$ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 183,120 in 2023) towards making this reach of the river navigable, and several times the scheme was allowed more time, but by 1813 still nothing had come of it. Between 1837 and 1845 US$ 3,022 (equivalent to $ 98,819 in 2023) was spent clearing obstructions from this reach. One of

1443-517: Was brought in to oversee the makeshift prison. The prisoners considered to be too dangerous for the setting were sent to Lawrenceburg and Lexington. Governor Happy Chandler successfully pushed for a new reformatory to be built in La Grange . While the public was still dealing with the effects of the flooding, Kentucky Utilities opened the Dix Dam spillways, which added 3 feet (0.91 m) to

1482-706: Was the State Vocational School at Hazard ( US$ 37,300 (equivalent to $ 404,643 in 2023)), with the rest of Perry County having some US$ 85,000 (equivalent to $ 922,109 in 2023) worth of damage to other schools, and Floyd County having US$ 308,000 (equivalent to $ 3,341,289 in 2023) worth of damage to its schools. Highway damage made transport of relief supplies difficult, with the United States Army sending in 14 helicopters for transport of supplies, headquartered at London . Approximately 900 mines and manufacturing industries, and 90% of

1521-413: Was the hardest hit. In part this was because of the physical geography of the area, as aforementioned. There had been 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of rainfall a week before the floods, which had saturated the ground and filled streams to their median levels, and in the period from the 27th of January to the 2nd of February there was 4 to 9 inches (10 to 23 cm) of rainfall. The highest rainfall of

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