Special Use Waterbodies in Kentucky

Special-use waters are waters listed in Kentucky Administrative Regulations that are worthy of additional protection. There are two basic categories of special-use waters: those that have higher “Designated Use” protections and those that have higher “Antidegradation” protections. Higher designated uses are “Cold Water Aquatic Habitat” (CAH) and “Outstanding State Resource Water” (OSRW). CAHmeans surface waters and associated substrate that will support indigenous aquatic life, or self-sustaining or reproducing trout populations, on a year-round basis (401 KAR 10:031, Section 4). OSRWmeans surface waters designated by the cabinet pursuant to 401 KAR 10:031, Section 8, and includes certain unique waters of the Commonwealth, including Kentucky Wild Rivers, Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers, and waters supporting federally recognized threatened or endangered species. A water can have both the “CAH” and “OSRW” designation. A water with the tag of “T/E” indicates an OSRW that supports federally threatened or endangered species. Higher antidegradation protection categories include “Outstanding National Resource Water” (ONRW) and “Exceptional Water” (EXC). ONRWs are waters that meet the requirements for an OSRW and demonstrate national ecological or recreational significance. EXCare certain waters whose quality exceeds that necessary to support propagation of fish, shellfish and wildlife and recreation in and on the water. Waters placed in this category are reference reach waters (RR), Kentucky Wild Rivers, some OSRWs and waters with excellent fish or macroinvertebrate communities (401 KAR 10:030 Section 1). RRwaters are a representative subpopulation of the least impacted streams within a bioregion. These streams serve as chemical, physical and biological models from which to determine the degree of impairment (physical, chemical or biological) to similar stream systems in each representative bioregion. These are not necessarily pristine streams, but represent those least disturbed conditions that are attainable in each bioregion. Any water identified as “candidate” is a water identified for a higher designated use or antidegradation category but has not yet been promulgated. Download spatial layer on Box. --- "Exceptional waters" (EXCW) means certain waterbodies whose quality exceeds that necessary to support propagation of fish, shellfish and wildlife and recreation in and on the water. Waters placed in this category are reference reach waters, Kentucky Wild Rivers, some Outstanding State Resource Waters and waters with "excellent" fish or macroinvertebrate communities (401 KAR 5:030 Section 1). "Reference Reach Waters" (R-RCH) are a representative subpopulation of the least impacted streams within a bioregion. These streams serve as chemical, physical and biological models from which to determine the degree of impairment (physical, chemical or biological) to similar stream systems in each representative bioregion. These are not necessarily pristine streams, but represent those least disturbed conditions that are attainable in each bioregion.Categories also currently covered in this data set: Cold Water Aquatic Habitat (CAH) means surface waters and associated substrate that will support indigenous aquatic life, or self-sustaining or reproducing trout populations, on a year-round basis. (401 KAR 10:031, Section 4) Outstanding State Resource Water (OSRW) means surface waters designated by the cabinet pursuant to 401 KAR 10:031, Section 8, and includes certains unique waters of the Commonwealth. CAH, OSRW - Rivers and streams which fall under both of the above categories. Threatened/Endangered (T/E) - Outstanding state resource waters with federally threatened or endangered species. T/E, CAH - Rivers/streams which fall under both the Threatened/Endangered and Cold Water Aquatic Habitat categories.特殊用途水域（Special-use waters）指《肯塔基州行政法规》中列明的、需额外保护的水域。其基本分为两类：具备更高“指定用途”保护等级的水域，以及具备更高“抗退化”保护等级的水域。 更高的指定用途保护等级包含“冷水水生栖息地（Cold Water Aquatic Habitat, CAH）”与“州级杰出资源水域（Outstanding State Resource Water, OSRW）”。其中，冷水水生栖息地指全年可支撑本土水生生物生存，或维持鳟鱼种群自我维持、自然繁殖的地表水及相关基质（依据401 KAR 10:031第4节）。州级杰出资源水域指肯塔基州内阁依据401 KAR 10:031第8节指定的地表水，涵盖本州部分独特水域，包括肯塔基州野生河流、联邦野生与风景河流，以及支撑联邦认定的受威胁或濒危物种的水域。单个水域可同时拥有CAH与OSRW两种指定标识。带“T/E”标签的水域指支持联邦受威胁或濒危物种的OSRW水域。 更高抗退化保护等级的类别包含“国家级杰出资源水域（Outstanding National Resource Water, ONRW）”与“特级水域（Exceptional Water, EXC）”。国家级杰出资源水域指满足OSRW认定标准，且具备国家级生态或游憩价值的水域。特级水域指水质超出支撑鱼类、贝类与野生生物繁殖，以及水上和水中游憩活动所需标准的特定水域。纳入该类别的水域包括参照断面水域（reference reach waters, RR）、肯塔基州野生河流、部分OSRW水域，以及拥有优质鱼类或大型无脊椎动物群落的水域（依据401 KAR 10:030第1节）。参照断面水域指生物区内受干扰程度最低的溪流的代表性亚种群，这类溪流可作为化学、物理与生物学参照模型，用于评估各代表性生物区内同类溪流系统的受损程度（物理、化学或生物学层面）。此类水域未必完全原始，但代表了各生物区内可达到的最低干扰状态。 标识为“候选（candidate）”的水域指被认定符合更高指定用途或抗退化类别标准，但尚未正式公布的水域。可在Box平台下载该数据集的空间图层。 --- 特级水域（Exceptional waters, EXCW）指水质超出支撑鱼类、贝类与野生生物繁殖，以及水上和水中游憩活动所需标准的特定水域。纳入该类别的水域包括参照断面水域、肯塔基州野生河流、部分州级杰出资源水域，以及拥有“优质”鱼类或大型无脊椎动物群落的水域（依据401 KAR 5:030第1节）。参照断面水域（Reference Reach Waters, R-RCH）指生物区内受干扰程度最低的溪流的代表性亚种群，这类溪流可作为化学、物理与生物学参照模型，用于评估各代表性生物区内同类溪流系统的受损程度（物理、化学或生物学层面）。此类水域未必完全原始，但代表了各生物区内可达到的最低干扰状态。 本数据集当前涵盖的类别还包括： 1. 冷水水生栖息地（CAH）：指全年可支撑本土水生生物生存，或维持鳟鱼种群自我维持、自然繁殖的地表水及相关基质（依据401 KAR 10:031第4节） 2. 州级杰出资源水域（OSRW）：指肯塔基州内阁依据401 KAR 10:031第8节指定的地表水，涵盖本州部分独特水域 3. CAH+OSRW：同时满足上述两类别的河流与溪流 4. 受威胁/濒危（Threatened/Endangered, T/E）：拥有联邦受威胁或濒危物种的州级杰出资源水域 5. T/E+CAH：同时满足受威胁/濒危与冷水水生栖息地类别的河流/溪流