John R. Burch Jr.
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780813168685
- eISBN:
- 9780813169941
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813168685.003.0005
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
Since the early nineteenth-century, entrepreneurs have looked to Eastern Kentucky’s natural resources as a means to enrich themselves and their business partners. In their wake, they have often left ...
More
Since the early nineteenth-century, entrepreneurs have looked to Eastern Kentucky’s natural resources as a means to enrich themselves and their business partners. In their wake, they have often left an impoverished region that suffers from chronic unemployment, economic underdevelopment, and severe environmental damage. The story of the three forks of the Kentucky River demonstrates that the economic prosperity of the Commonwealth has historically been tied to its waterways. For Eastern Kentucky, this connection has not resulted in long-term prosperity, but rather brief moments of development tied to the water harvest bounty. For example, on the Kentucky River’s South Fork, Central Kentucky elites shipped salt for national pork preservation. The salt pork industry led to a brief prosperity in Clay County that ended with the rise of the Kanawha salt industry elsewhere in the country. In Lee County at the Kentucky River’s main course, lock and dam construction for transporting lumber and coal boosted the local economy significantly, but by the time the dams were finished, the Louisville and Atlantic Railroad had gained shipments previously reserved for waterways and modern barges had grown too large for the river.Less
Since the early nineteenth-century, entrepreneurs have looked to Eastern Kentucky’s natural resources as a means to enrich themselves and their business partners. In their wake, they have often left an impoverished region that suffers from chronic unemployment, economic underdevelopment, and severe environmental damage. The story of the three forks of the Kentucky River demonstrates that the economic prosperity of the Commonwealth has historically been tied to its waterways. For Eastern Kentucky, this connection has not resulted in long-term prosperity, but rather brief moments of development tied to the water harvest bounty. For example, on the Kentucky River’s South Fork, Central Kentucky elites shipped salt for national pork preservation. The salt pork industry led to a brief prosperity in Clay County that ended with the rise of the Kanawha salt industry elsewhere in the country. In Lee County at the Kentucky River’s main course, lock and dam construction for transporting lumber and coal boosted the local economy significantly, but by the time the dams were finished, the Louisville and Atlantic Railroad had gained shipments previously reserved for waterways and modern barges had grown too large for the river.
Brian D. Lee, Daniel I. Carey, and Alice L. Jones (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780813168685
- eISBN:
- 9780813169941
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813168685.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
Kentucky is regarded as one of the most ecologically diverse states in the nation, home to sprawling Appalachian forests, rolling green meadows, and the longest cave system in the world. None of ...
More
Kentucky is regarded as one of the most ecologically diverse states in the nation, home to sprawling Appalachian forests, rolling green meadows, and the longest cave system in the world. None of these formations would be possible, however, without the lakes, rivers, and streams that have been shaping and nourishing the land for centuries. Water has played a pivotal role in determining Kentucky’s physical, cultural, and economic landscapes, and its management and preservation have recently become a significant point of interest for the state’s government and citizens. In Water in Kentucky: Shaping Landscapes, People, and Communities, editors Brian D. Lee, Daniel I. Carey, and Alice L. Jones will assemble a team of contributors from various disciplines to explore how water has defined regions across the Commonwealth. They propose to present an overview of Kentucky’s watershed and landscapes as well as highlight the importance of the water sources during the settlement and development of Kentucky. They will examine how water is regarded across the state today, discussing a variety of issues such as rural water and wastewater issues, the effect of the Martin County Coal Waste Spill on water resources, erosion and sediment control, Kentucky River’s lock and dam system, and the creation of the Land between the Lakes. The editors and contributors will also investigate how water is regulated across the state, exploring Kentucky’s water administrations, activism for preservation of water sources, and advocacy for public awareness. Finally, they will address future challenges, focusing on emerging technologies and management approaches that will likely determine the next chapters in Kentucky’s history. Water in Kentucky will illuminate the ways in which water has affected the lives of Kentuckians since the state’s settlement, exploring the complex relationship between humans, landscapes, and waterways. Illustrated with photographs, maps, and charts, the volume offers a multi-faceted look at how water has shaped the Bluegrass State. Through detailed analysis and case studies, the editors and contributors will provide scholars and general readers alike with an important volume that not only takes a look at Kentucky’s past, but asks important questions about its future.Less
Kentucky is regarded as one of the most ecologically diverse states in the nation, home to sprawling Appalachian forests, rolling green meadows, and the longest cave system in the world. None of these formations would be possible, however, without the lakes, rivers, and streams that have been shaping and nourishing the land for centuries. Water has played a pivotal role in determining Kentucky’s physical, cultural, and economic landscapes, and its management and preservation have recently become a significant point of interest for the state’s government and citizens. In Water in Kentucky: Shaping Landscapes, People, and Communities, editors Brian D. Lee, Daniel I. Carey, and Alice L. Jones will assemble a team of contributors from various disciplines to explore how water has defined regions across the Commonwealth. They propose to present an overview of Kentucky’s watershed and landscapes as well as highlight the importance of the water sources during the settlement and development of Kentucky. They will examine how water is regarded across the state today, discussing a variety of issues such as rural water and wastewater issues, the effect of the Martin County Coal Waste Spill on water resources, erosion and sediment control, Kentucky River’s lock and dam system, and the creation of the Land between the Lakes. The editors and contributors will also investigate how water is regulated across the state, exploring Kentucky’s water administrations, activism for preservation of water sources, and advocacy for public awareness. Finally, they will address future challenges, focusing on emerging technologies and management approaches that will likely determine the next chapters in Kentucky’s history. Water in Kentucky will illuminate the ways in which water has affected the lives of Kentuckians since the state’s settlement, exploring the complex relationship between humans, landscapes, and waterways. Illustrated with photographs, maps, and charts, the volume offers a multi-faceted look at how water has shaped the Bluegrass State. Through detailed analysis and case studies, the editors and contributors will provide scholars and general readers alike with an important volume that not only takes a look at Kentucky’s past, but asks important questions about its future.
Jamey Wiglesworth
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780813168685
- eISBN:
- 9780813169941
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813168685.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
This chapter illustrates what it means to live on and with a river, in this case, working, playing, and experiencing the joys and occasional hardships of life on the Kentucky River. The author ...
More
This chapter illustrates what it means to live on and with a river, in this case, working, playing, and experiencing the joys and occasional hardships of life on the Kentucky River. The author describes the pace of life as leisurely and peaceful, a place of transcendence. The river provides a place to play and socialize with friends and family, and a place to experience a unity with nature.Less
This chapter illustrates what it means to live on and with a river, in this case, working, playing, and experiencing the joys and occasional hardships of life on the Kentucky River. The author describes the pace of life as leisurely and peaceful, a place of transcendence. The river provides a place to play and socialize with friends and family, and a place to experience a unity with nature.
