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Explore Coal Creek: Protecting Water Quality

A man stands in a river to collect a sample of water for testing.

What's in Our Water?

Streams in our watershed flow through open space, along roads, by farms and neighborhoods. These different land uses impact our water in different ways. People, farmers, and animals are also using this water in different ways.

How do people tell if the water is safe and clean to use? How do animals?

One way community members can help keep our streams clean is by looking for signs that water might be polluted. You can also volunteer to pick up trash, remove weeds, record bird sightings, and more with Louisville Open Space.

 

A storm water outfall drains water into a creek.

Report Pollution

Polluted water could have an oily sheen, be discolored, or have a strange odor or excessive foam. The next time you see water that looks or smells funny, report it to the city.  This mobile-friendly Report Pollution form sends your reports to city staff so that they can respond to contain and clean up the pollutant source.

A woman in waders holding a bucket of water quality testing supplies walks through a river.

Monitoring Water Quality

The City of Louisville monitors the water quality in Coal Creek to see how the city might be impacting it. They collect data to track general water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH), nutrients, bacteria, and metals. This data tells us if we are meeting water quality standards. It helps us answer questions like, is this water safe to recreate in? Is it a healthy habitat for fish and other aquatic animals?

You can see the data we’ve collected from Coal Creek on the KICP water quality dashboard.