Kentucky Watershed Roundtable
2004
The Kentucky Waterways Alliance and the Division of Water are sponsoring the 2004 Kentucky Watershed Roundtable, June 27-28, in Lexington, KY. The Kentucky Watershed Roundtable is one of the Commonwealth’s most significant meetings—uniting a diverse group of stakeholders to address current water issues and develop effective, cooperative solutions. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to network and discuss solutions to common problems.
This year’s agenda is based on the top issues of concern to 2003 Roundtable participants. Attendees will hear local success stories detailing how communities address wastewater issues and protect streams and groundwater by using tools such as Agricultural Water Quality Plans, funding programs available to Kentucky farmers and landowners, stormwater training, and outreach tools for local government officials.
2003
After a year of planning the first Kentucky Watershed Roundtable, a total of 228 people attended the day and a half event. A mix of local, state and federal government professionals, nonprofit and citizen groups, and individuals participated in the Roundtable sessions and discussions.
The objectives of the Kentucky Watershed Roundtable were: to raise awareness of watershed issues and resources; to leverage resources by building trust and forging links among partners; and to provide tools to support watershed and community development. Comments from the participants were very supportive and encouraging. Indeed, the evaluations showed that the objectives were on target and were achieved:
87% thought the Roundtable was a good chance to network with other organizations and agencies;
76% thought the training and workshops offered practical applications for their city, organization or watershed; and
96% thought the Roundtable should be an annual event!
The Roundtable blended a mix of facilitated basin breakout sessions and informational sessions on a variety of topics. A plenary session opened the Roundtable with an overview of watersheds and watershed processes. A discussion panel comprised of a variety of interest groups told the crowd why the Roundtable was important to their interests. A leadership plenary session comprised of state and federal agencies and other state leaders closed the Roundtable by listening and responding to the top concerns raised by the participants. The final report is available below.
| 
