The Green River is the most biologically diverse and rich branch of the Ohio River system. The greatest aquatic diversity occurs in a 100-mile section of unhindered river that flows from the Green River Reservoir dam through Mammoth Cave National Park (the world’s longest and most diverse cave system) in south central Kentucky. This section of the Green River Watershed includes 917,197 acres in the counties of Adair, Barren, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Metcalfe, Russell and Taylor. For an Adobe format map of the area, click here.
Data indicates that agricultural runoff contributes high levels of sediment, nutrients, pesticides and pathogens to the Green River and Mammoth Cave System. There are currently seven species listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Green River System. In addition, the project area also includes several ecosystems recognized as endangered ecosystems of the United States, including native prairies, hardwood savannahs, canebrakes and old-growth deciduous forest.
On Aug. 29, 2001, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the commonwealth of Kentucky agreed to implement a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, or CREP, on the above-referenced section of the Green River to restore up to 100,000 acres. This is a $110,000,000 program, making it the largest conservation program in the history of this state. The Nature Conservancy also was a primary contributor, offering permanent easements to landowners in addition to CREP contracts.
CREP is an enhanced version of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which has been the federal government’s largest, most comprehensive private lands environmental improvement program. CRP and CREP help save millions of acres of topsoil from erosion, protect surface and ground waters by reducing runoff and sedimentation, increasing wildlife habitat and improving air quality.
Because the section of the Green River has been identified as such a special place, partner agencies felt that the enhanced version of the CRP would be ideal for this area. This “enhancement” is primarily financial, thus directly benefiting the producer/landowner in CREP areas (for example, some practices installed under a CREP contract can pay up to a 100 percent increase over standard CRP rental payments for the same practice). This is an entirely voluntary land “set aside” program, offering enhanced annual rental, cost share and incentive payments that exceed that of CRP. In addition to the payments referenced above, landowners may elect to enter this land into a supplemental permanent conservation easement to receive additional incentive payments. CREP contracts may last from 10 to 15 years, and sign up is continuous within the eight county CREP region. Practices most commonly utilized in the Green River CREP region include riparian buffers, native grass planting, hardwood tree planting and filter strips.
United States Department of Agriculture Federal Service Agency (USDA FSA), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Office of the Governor (Kentucky), Kentucky General Assembly, Kentucky Division of Conservation, Mammoth Cave National Park, The Nature Conservancy Kentucky, Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Division of Water, Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
If you are a landowner within the Green River CREP region and are interested in what the program can do for you, there is additional information available in an Adobe format document.
Other forms available:
Green River CREP 01 Inquiry Form Revised
Green River CREP State Cost Share Flow Chart
Green River CREP 02 State CS Request Form (State Cost Share)
Green River CREP State CS and Incentive Payment Calculator
- To reduce by 10 percent the amount of sediment, nutrients and pesticides from agricultural sources entering the tributaries and main stem of the Green River and Mammoth Cave System through the installation of best management practices designed for that purpose, and other conservation practices designed to improve water quality.
- To enhance habitats and populations of wildlife, including those listed as state and federal special concern, rare, threatened and endangered.
- To sustain and restore the composition, structure and function of riparian habitat corridors associated with the Green River and tributary watersheds.
- To reconnect habitat types in order to restore the full range of ecosystem function.
- To establish buffers around sinkholes, targeting 1,000 high-priority sinkholes.
- To sustain and restore nonriparian wetlands.
- To protect and restore subterranean ecosystems.
- To collect, store and analyze data to enhance planning for sustaining the health of the watershed.
- To develop an outreach program targeting all active agricultural producers in the area.
- To utilize native species, including warm season grasses, to the greatest extent possible.
The first three years of the Green River CREP have shown success in placing critical acreage into conservation practices. As with any program, time was needed to learn the program specifics and adjust workloads accordingly. Lessons are still being learned, but many feel that a corner has been turned, and this program appears to be headed into its most productive years. Producer interest remains high, and the program continues to attract interest from local farmers, especially with the tobacco buyout. State partner agencies have been key in getting Green River CREP on the ground during this initial period.
This program is administered by USDA, and several state agencies have been critical for success. The Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and Kentucky Division of Conservation have played primary roles in public education, program organization and guidance on practice implementation. In addition, the Nature Conservancy of Kentucky is administering supplemental permanent easements on contracts for those who wish to enroll. This partnership effort is yet another reason that Green River CREP has set itself apart from previous conservation programs.
CREP 2007 Annual Report - The most recent report of progress in the Green River in Kentucky CREP.
If you would like more information on the Green River CREP, check information in the attached Adobe Acrobat document, contact your local USDA NRCS Service Center or contact:
