At a Glance
With its watershed approach and incorporation of stakeholders, the Allen Fork Headwaters Study offers Boone County, Kentucky recommendations to implement innovative stormwater management and stream restoration strategies that will serve as a model for other watersheds in the county.
Project Description
Boone County Public Works, in partnership with the Northern Kentucky Sanitation District, commissioned a study to explore the potential for improving the management of stormwater flows, restoring creeks and floodplains, and providing passive recreation opportunities throughout the one square-mile headwater catchment of Allen Fork in Boone County, Kentucky. The county selected the multi-disciplinary Biohabitats’ team, which included the landscape architecture firm Human Nature.
The impetus for this effort was the Darlington Farms Development at the downstream limit of the study area. The Homeowners Association was concerned about flooding and sedimentation of the development’s artificial lake, formed by the impoundment of Allen Fork. Consequently, the study focused on issues related to stormwater volume and sediment production in the watershed.
The work included GIS data collection and analysis, field reconnaissance, a watershed-wide assessment of channel conditions, and preparation of a technical memorandum that delivered recommendations for stormwater management and ecosystem restoration. Biohabitats also helped the County Engineer assemble and coordinate a project steering committee.