By Lynette Cox
This Saturday, March 22 is World Water Day. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, it’s a day to highlight the importance of freshwater and inspire action to address global water issues. The 2025 theme is Save our Glaciers. With the planet getting hotter, glaciers are melting faster and threats exist from impending floods, droughts, landslides, and rising sea levels.
Closer to Home: A Threat to Water in Kentucky
In Kentucky, Senate Bill 89 narrows protections for Kentucky’s waters and limits protections against pollution to only those waters that are defined as “navigable.” This bill removes protection on groundwater, ephemeral streams, and upper reaches of most streams and rivers systems in Kentucky. Bernheim has expressed concerns about the impact this bill will have on drinking water for millions of Kentuckians. SB 89 passed the Kentucky Senate and House and is now on the desk of Governor Beshear. Learn more and take action through the Kentucky Resources Council.
Bernheim Protects Waterways
Water is our most critical resource. Access to clean, abundant water is the foundation of ecological sustainability, social equity, and a vibrant economy. Bernheim’s 16,000+ acres protect 73 ponds and wetlands and over 100 miles of streams within our borders. Bernheim is restoring wetlands along Wilson Creek and Harrison Fork. We also practice water conservation and partner with the James B. Beam Distilling Co. on the Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance.
Restorations Critical Wetlands
Wetlands slow and filter water, recharge aquifers, and create moist green areas that store carbon and protect against drought. Wetlands support species of all levels of the food web, including insects, amphibians, bats, birds, beavers, and otters. Wetland restorations provide immediate and lasting ecosystem impacts.
Bernheim teams with Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc., Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Ridgewater to restore nearly one mile of stream on Harrison Fork of Wilson Creek. Harrison Fork was channelized and ditched long ago to create pasture and agricultural land.
“This project is recreating bottomland forest and stream habitats that include runs, riffles, pools, and widening of the stream channel. Wetlands will be created throughout the old channel and along the bottomland,” explained Andrew Berry, Director of Conservation at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. “Native vegetation including forbs, shrubs, and trees will be planted throughout the project area to hold soil and provide for wildlife. Logs and boulders are being anchored into the stream channel to provide structural habitat and slow water flow. We expect this project to continue through 2026 and likely will take several more years before we see a finished product with tree canopy.”
Bernheim also recently completed the Wilson Creek Wetland, a 9.3-acre restoration project. Six shallow pools were created, connecting a series of existing drainage furrows. The main drainage ditch has been blocked, and flow is being diverted back into the field where the ground is acting as a giant sponge. Trees and a select seed mix were planted to restore wetland vegetation, including over 1,800 trees with species including native bottomland and wetland varieties of oak, hickory, and more. Wilson Creek Wetland will provide critical habitat for wildlife and help mitigate loss of wetlands in the Salt River Basin. Loss of wetlands causes ripple effects downstream including flooding, lowered water tables, reduced water quality, and loss of biodiversity. Read more about this restoration in the spring issue of the Forest Echo.
The James B. Beam Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance
The James B. Beam Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance supports Bernheim’s water conservation and education programs. Together, Bernheim and James B. Beam Distilling Co. share a commitment to:
- Enhancing environmental and water cycle education for visitors, employees, and local communities.
- Strengthening watershed protection to ensure a clean, abundant water supply.
- Preserving biodiversity by protecting native forests, plants, and habitats.
