The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

Cleaning Beargrass Creek
Kristen Barnes
We began in the early morning, meeting our classmates and others from the
community, all anticipating the annual event focused on cleaning up Beargrass Creek.
The creek runs throughout the city of Louisville, so nobody really expected it to be clean,
but as we began to make our way to the banks just beyond Highway 42, I think even
veterans of the clean-up were surprised by what greeted us. As some began to move up
and down the banks, our class clambered into two long outrigger canoes. We brought
with us gloves, nets, and trash bags, and then pushed off into the center of the Creek.
It was slow going, as the way was clogged by logs and branches. We stopped
frequently to net floating coffee cups and old soda cans, filling our bags as we sojourned
further up steam. Rain had been scarce all season, so we hadn't gone far when we
reached the first shallow riffle. We paddled the canoes to shore, then disembarked into
what could only be called a uniquely populated area. Leeches were our primary
company, an indicator of poor water quality. The banks were littered with discarded
trash, as the rest of the creek had been. This particular spot was also marked by old
curtains, a car battery, and a water-logged Elmo doll. A bit of pushing and pulling
dislodged an old shopping cart, and a myriad of other peculiar finds were quickly
amassed by my classmates.
Once everything was situated precariously in the two canoes, we began to head
back downstream to deposit our wares with the rest of the clean-up operation. It was an
interesting feeling, one of accomplishment mingled with… perhaps it could be called
disappointment. While we had collected a panoply of discarded items from one small
stretch of the creek, it seemed only too likely that there were dozens of other sites just
like it further up stream, shielded from the view of the general public, out of sight and out
of mind.
Education will clearly be the key in making a lasting positive impact on Beargrass
Creek. The more people are aware of what is around them, or how their actions are
impacting water all across Louisville, the better chance the creek will have of someday
flowing more freely, unencumbered by debris, as well as being a safe, healthy home to
many types of aquatic life.
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