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Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Creek Basins
Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart 192
Series XII, 2009
0 3 6 9 12 1.5
Miles

River Transportation
River transportation supports industry on the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers.
Beautiful Greenbo Lake in Greenup County reflects the surrounding hills on a quiet day. The 181-acre lake is
located within Greenbo Lake State Resort Park. The 3,000-acre park provides camping, fishing (renowned
for largemouth bass), boating, golf, and hiking and biking trails.
Greenbo Lake
Carter Caves State Resort Park in Carter County is a popular attraction
for tourism, golfing, and business meetings. Beautiful hiking trails and
caves can be found in the steep-sided tributary valleys of Tygarts Creek
formed by Mississippian limestones.
Carter Caves
ndustry on the Big Sandy near the -64 bridge. The Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers
provide water, transportation, and level land for industry.
Industry and Rivers
The Pikeville Cut-Through, which began in 1973, was a 14-year
engineering achievement second only to the Panama Canal. The
channel is 1,300 feet wide, 3,700 feet long, and 523 feet deep. t
reroutes the flow of the Levisa Fork away from the oxbow that
encircles Pikeville and controls flooding. The 390 acres of flat land
that were created have seen extensive development. This 2004
photo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the completed
cutoff.
Pikeville Cutoff
Nearly 7,600 miles of streams flow through the basin's 3,440
square miles in 14 counties to the Tug Fork, Big Sandy River, and
Ohio River. The Tygarts CreekLittle Sandy River Basin includes
1,160 square miles. The Big Sandy River Basin has 2,285 square
miles in Kentucky and 1,950 square miles in West Virginia and
Virginia. There are nearly 17,000 acres of wetlands, including
water bodies.
Residents draw about 27 million gallons of water per day
(mgd) from streams and reservoirs in the basin. About three in five
residents are on public water; other households rely primarily on
domestic wells. Only about one in four households are on public
sewer. On-site wastewater treatment is a critical issue affecting
water quality throughout the basin.
More than 540 miles of streams in the basin do not fully
support designated uses for warm-water aquatic habitat, fish
consumption, and primary contact recreation. Most streams have
not been assessed. The percentage of assessed streams not
supporting uses was: warm-water aquatic habitat (60%); fish
consumption (16%); primary contact recreation (40%).
45 miles of streams have been declared special use waters:
either exceptional waters or reference reach waters.
There are four remediation priority watersheds including 200
square miles: primary impacts are pathogens, PCBs, metals,
siltation, dissolved solids, chlorides, and salinity.
Kentucky Geol ogical Survey
James C. Cobb, State Geologist and Director
UNVERSTY OF KENTUCKY, LEXNGTON
Data from U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Ecol ogic Regions
Carter Hil ls
Dissected Appalachi an Plateau
Monongahela Transiti on Zone
Knobs
Carboniferous Plateau
Wi ldlife
The resources in the basin are shared by many (above and left).
Scale = 1:190,080
1 inch equals 3 mi les
Slope
Level to
gentl y rol l i ng
Rol l i ng
Hi l ly
Steep
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Terry Hounshell and Meg Smath,
Kentucky Geological Survey, for cartographic
and editorial improvements. Thanks to Kim and
Kent Anness, Kentucky Division of Geographic
nformation, for base-map data.
Recreation
Kayakers run the Class V water on the
Russell Fork River in the Breaks nter-
state Park on the Kentucky-Virginia line.
A variety of experiencesboating, fish-
ing, or merely enjoying the sceneryis
provided by waterways throughout the
basin. Breaks nterstate Park is one of
two interstate parks in America and
encompasses 4,500 acres of woodland.
The Breaks, home of the deepest gorge
east of the Mississippi River, also rises
to lofty heights where golden eagles
make their home. The Towers and other
rock formations, caves, flora, and
wildlife make the park a unique tourist
destination. Photo by Bethany Overfield,
Kentucky Geological Survey.
Water Body Name Type Directions Fee Latitude Longitude
Fishtrap Lake Lick Creek ramp any boat Ky. 80 southeast of Pikeville; left on U.S. 460; left on Ky. 1373 to ramp no 37.40779 -82.31801
Fishtrap Lake Dam ramp any boat Ky. 80 southeast of Pikeville to Ky. 1789; follow signs yes 37.43665 -82.41445
Dewey Lake Jenny Wiley State Park Marina ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302 to state park no 37.69361 -82.72723
Dewey Lake Jenny Wiley State ParkStratton Branch ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; Ky. 302 to state park; follow Ky. 302 around lake to ramp no 37.70194 -82.73893
Dewey Lake Jenny Wiley State Park Campground ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302; follow around lake to site no 37.71440 -82.73890
Dewey Lake Terry ramp any boat Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg; left on Ky. 302; follow around lake to site no 37.72645 -82.74262
Paintsville Lake Paintsville Lake State Park ramp any boat Ky. 40 west of Paintsville; right on Ky. 2275 to lake no 37.84292 -82.87993
Paintsville Lake Big Mine Fork ramp any boat Ky. 40 east of Salyersville; Ky. 1437 north to Wheelersburg; right on Ky. 5041 (Jellico Branch Road Big Mine Fork) to ramp no 37.87450 -82.98621
Paintsville Lake Open Fork boat ramp any boat Ky. 172 east of West Liberty to Relief; right on Open Fork Road; follow signs no 37.92989 -83.00146
Yatesville Lake Rich Creek ramp any boat Ky. 32 west of Louisa; follow signs no 38.06448 -82.75062
Yatesville Lake Pleasant Ridge ramp any boat Ky. 32 west of Louisa to Pleasant Ridge Road no 38.09525 -82.68909
Yatesville Lake Barkers Marina ramp any boat Ky. 3 north of Louisa; left on Ky. 3397; left on Ky. 1185 no 38.11880 -82.69359
Grayson Lake Bruin Creek any boat Ky. 7 north of Sandy Hook; follow signs to lake (before entering Carter County) no 38.20149 -83.01083
Grayson Lake Dam ramp any boat Ky. 7 south of Grayson; first road on left after crossing dam yes 38.24833 -82.98608
Fishtrap Lake Grapevine ramp small boat only U.S. 23 north of Pikeville; right on U.S. 119; right on Ky. 194 to Phyllis; follow signs to lake yes 37.43156 -82.35885
Hambley Lake Hambley Lake ramp small boat only Ky. 1426 to Combs Avenue; turn right at three-way stop onto Trivette Drive; ramp is near Agriculture Extension Office no 37.48465 -82.51652
Levisa Fork of Big Sandy River Prestonsburg ramp small boat only Ky. 1428 to West Court Street; right onto north Front Street; take first left to river park no 37.66397 -82.77329
Dewey Lake German Bridge ramp small boat only Ky. 1428 east of Prestonsburg to Emma; left on Ky. 194 to bridge no 37.68481 -82.65298
Levisa Fork of Big Sandy River Paintsville River Access small boat only Ky. 40 in Paintsville; southeast on Ky. 1428; left onto State Street; left onto Chessie Lane to River Road no 37.81329 -82.79204
Tug Fork of Big Sandy River Warfield ramp small boat only Ky. 40 east of nez to Warfield; left on Ky. 292 to ramp no 37.84611 -82.42032
Martin County Reservoir Martin County Reservoir ramp small boat only Ky. 40 southeast from nez; left onto Ky. 908; left onto Reservoir Road no 37.87892 -82.51803
Paintsville Lake Lost Creek boat ramp small boat only Ky. 172 north from West Liberty; right onto Ky. 437; right on to Ky. 1260; right onto Lost Creek Road to ramp no 37.89743 -82.98873
Martin County Lake Martin County Lake ramp small boat only Ky. 40 west of nez; Ky. 645 north; Ky. 1884 east (Milo Road) no 37.92178 -82.56743
Yatesville Lake Twin Branch ramp small boat only Ky. 3 north of Louisa; left on Ky. 1; left on Ky. 828 (which becomes Twin Branch Road) to ramp no 38.10873 -82.74443
Tug Fork of Big Sandy River Louisa ramp small boat only Ky. 3 in Louisa to north Winston Street; right onto Main Street to ramp no 38.11975 -82.60501
Grayson Lake Caney Creek small boat only Ky. 7 north of Sandy Hook; left on Ky. 504 no 38.16466 -83.08912
Grayson Lake Clifty Creek ramp small boat only Ky. 7 south of Grayson; pass dam on Grayson Lake; right on gravel road just before bridge over Clifty Creek arm no 38.23014 -83.01448
Smoky Valley/Carter Caves Lake Smoky Valley/Carter Caves Lake ramp small boat only -64 west of Grayson (exit 161); turn right and follow signs to Carter Caves State Park no 38.36659 -83.12958
Ohio River East Catlettsburg ramp small boat only n Catlettsburg; Division Street behind floodwall at boat club no 38.41662 -82.59643
Greenbo Lake Greenbo Lake State Park small boat only Ky. 1 south of Greenbo; right on Ky. 1711; follow signs no 38.48488 -82.88410
Ohio River East Ashland ramp small boat only n Ashland; north end of 16th Street behind floodwall no 38.48167 -82.63849
Little Sandy River Raccoon ramp small boat only Ky. 2 southwest of Greenup (6 miles) at bridge crossing no 38.53038 -82.87130
Little Sandy River Greenup ramp small boat only U.S. 23 northwest of Greenup (1/4 mile) no 38.57981 -82.84300
Data from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources: kygeonet.ky.gov/kdfwr/viewer.htm.
Boat Ramps in the Basin
M L
More Informati on
Boating and fishing access sites, Ky. Dept. Fish and Wildlife
Resources: kygeonet.ky.gov/kdfwr/
Big Sandy/Little Sandy and Tygarts Basin Team:
www.watersheds.ky.gov/basins/big_little_sandy/
Dewey Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/DEW/
Fishtrap Lake: parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/ft/
Grayson Lake: parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/gl/
Paintsville Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/lakes/piv/
Yatesville Lake, parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/yl/
Kentucky Division of Water: water.ky.gov/
Kentucky Water Resources Research nstitute:
www.uky.edu/WaterResources/
Kentucky Geological Survey: www.uky.edu/kgs/water/library
Water Watch Data: kgsmap.uky.edu/website/krww/
U.S. Geological Survey surface water data:
water.usgs.gov/osw/
Basin Location
Tygarts
Big/Little Sandy
Al luvial Valleys
Wide alluvial valleys in the Tygarts Creek and Little Sandy watersheds provide land for
agriculture and development. Floodplain development should be designed to avoid or
minimize flood damage.
2
17
Russell Fork
Looking down the Russell Fork Valley, a tributary of Levisa Fork, near the Kentucky-
Virginia line. Photo by Bethany Overfield, Kentucky Geological Survey.
13
Wetlands
Nearly 17,000 acres of wetlands 1 acre or larger have been delineated in the basin
by the National Wetlands nventory Program. Wetlands are vital to aquatic life and
the maintenance of water quality.
8
Moving out of the Floodplain
Nine feet of water ran on Main Street in Martin during the 1977 flood. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, is implementing a redevelopment plan that
will provide relocation and other nonstructural flood protection measures for homes,
businesses, and government buildings. The plan was designed to preserve the
cohesiveness of the Floyd County community.
11
Construction in the alluvial floodplain must ensure that living spaces are above
flood levels, as shown in these homes along Wolf Creek in Martin County.
Flood Damage Reduction
6
Nearly 6,300 acres of manmade lakes with 275 miles of shoreline provide flood
protection, water supplies, and recreation for the region. Paintsville Lake (above)
offers 1,140 acres of boating, water sports, and fishing in Johnson County.
Lakes
9
14
12
Over 2 billion tons of coal has been mined in the basin, 1.7 billion by underground
mining. n recent years, surface minessuch as this mountaintop job near Hippo
in Floyd Countyhave played a greater role in production. Photo from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural magery Program, 2004.
Coal
15
The Little Sandy River undercuts its sandstone bank in a quiet bend near Sandy
Hook in Elliott County.
Little Sandy River
10 10
4
Levi sa Fork
Levisa Fork, seen here at Paintsville in Johnson County, drains three-fourths of
the mountainous Dissected Appalachian Plateau region. Thin soils, lack of public
wastewater treatment, mining, logging, and failed septic systems throughout the
watershed contribute to water-quality problems.
16
Narrow alluvial valleys, such as this in the headwaters of Blaine Creek
in Lawrence County, provide limited level land for homes and agriculture
in the mountainous region of the Levisa and Tug Fork basins. n the
region, less than 5 percent of the land is tillable.
Agri culture
7
As a river town at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers, Catlettsburg was subject to flooding on a
regular basisestimated at every 18 months prior to 1937. During that year, a major flood convinced the town
that a floodwall was necessary. The levee (left) and floodwall seen here have been in operation since that time,
and are crucial to the survival of the town during floods. Photo by Bart Davidson, Kentucky Geological Survey.
Flood Protection
3
5
Wetlands
Source Water/Groundwater
Protection AreasZone 1
Priority watershed:
www.water.ky.gov/watersheds/
County boundary
Ponds
Stream reaches not supporting assessed
uses: water.ky.gov/sw/tmdl/303d
Special Use Waters: water.ky.gov/sw/specialwaters/
Lakes
Photo location
Treatment plant outfalls YWX
County seat ^
Large boat ramp M L
Small boat ramp M L
!(12
Public water withdrawal
site (see table)
")12
ncorporated city
11-Digit Hydrologic Unit
boundary, unit code, and
area in square miles
Explanation
El evation in feet
482700
701850
8511,000
1,0011,150
1,1511,300
1,3011,500
1,5011,700
1,7011,900
1,9012,300
2,3013,104
Publ ic Water Withdrawal s
1
Public Water System dentification Number
Data from the Kentucky nfrastructure Authority (2008)
Location
ID
1
Owner Source
1 0670213 Jenkins Water System Lake 203
2 0980120 Elkhorn City Water Department Russell Fork Levisa Fork
3 0360463 Wheelwright Utilities Commission Wheelwright Mine
4 0980575 Mountain Water District Russell Fork Levisa Fork
5 0980350 Pikeville Water Department Levisa Fork/Big Sandy River
6 0360152 Francis Water Company Francis Water Mine Well
7 0360026 Southern Water & Sewer District Levisa Fork Big Sandy River
8 0360358 Prestonsburg City Utilities Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River
9 0580340 Paintsville Utility Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River
10 0800273 Martin County Water District Curtis Crum Reservoir
11 0800273 Martin County Water District Tug Fork Big Sandy River
12 0640257 Louisa Board of Water and Sewer Commission Levisa Fork Big Sandy River
13 0220555 Rattlesnake Ridge Water District Grayson Lake
14 0220335 Olive Hill Municipal Water Works Tygarts Creek
15 0220335 Olive Hill Municipal Water Works Olive Hill Reservoir
16 0220164 Grayson Utility Commission Little Sandy River
17 0100011 Ashland Water Works Ohio River
18 0450376 Russell Water Works Ohio River
19 0450169 Greenup Water Department Little Sandy River

PWSID