Our Origins
In 2017 efforts began to coordinate the West Hickman Watershed. LFUCG supported those efforts with the West Hickman Watershed Council. Through the meetings held by the council, leadership emerged, including enough interested individuals to incorporate a non-profit focused on the watershed.
What’s In a Name?
Fayette County boasts both East and West Hickman Creeks. They join in Jessamine County before entering the Kentucky River as Hickman Creek (pdf). Our primary focus right now is the West Hickman Creek watershed within Fayette County. But we are not limiting ourselves forever! Hickman Creek Conservancy was incorporated on Jan 1, 2019, and is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Our Current Work
HCC was formed to be a citizen-led agency for improving the water quality in these watersheds. Through education, work projects and advocacy, we are partnering with the local government, school groups, and other environmental organizations to accomplish our mission. Our primary focus right now is the West Hickman Creek watershed within Fayette County. But we are not limiting ourselves forever! Hickman Creek Conservancy was incorporated on Jan 1, 2019. Some examples of our activities include creek sampling for biological assessment, tree walks to identify and educate community members about the importance of riparian zones, and trash removal from the stream bed and surroundings. HCC has assisted the local government and private engineering firms with the development of a watershed improvement plan for W. Hickman. School groups and classroom teachers have brought students to the creek for sampling and exploration. Bluegrass Trout Unlimited has partnered with HCC to construct an outdoor classroom on the bank of W. Hickman creek in Veterans Park. Neighborhood Associations have used HCC as a resource for tree plantings, cleanups and informational meetings. HCC understands that the Climate Crisis will require all of us to become more “water aware” and ready to take actions that can mitigate the impacts of climate change in the coming years.
Hickman Creek Conservancy’s status as a 501c3 non-profit enables us to partner with local residents in order to fund projects using the City of Lexington’s Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program. We will be working to build relationships and identify opportunities for making progress toward keeping our waterways clean and green using this and other sources of funding.
More about Hickman Creek Conservancy
