State Seeks Comment on Impaired Stream in Rockcastle County

The commonwealth is inviting the public to comment on its recent reporton bacteria in an eastern Kentucky stream.Crooked Creek, in Rockcastle County, has a number of what the Division of Water calls ‘designated uses.’ Swimming is one of them. But with the release of the report, the state found that the creek is no longer suitable for swimming because of high levels of E. coli bacteria.The Division of Water is charged with calculating what’s called a Total Maximum Daily Load for impaired streams, which is the maximum amount of pollution the stream can hold while still meeting the state’s water quality standard.But in cases of E. coli, it’s more complicated. Some of it could be coming from sewage treatment plants, but some may be from non-point source pollution, like runoff from fields or animal waste.The Division of Water is accepting comments on the report until January 22.