The is a tributary of the
Ohio River , 259 mi (417 km) long, in the
U.S. State of
Kentucky . The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the
Coal -
Mining regions of the
Cumberland Mountains , and its lower course passing through the
Bluegrass Region in the north central part of the state. Its watershed encompasses about 7,000 sq. mi (18,000 km²). It supplies drinking water to about one-sixth of the population of the state.
The river is navigable along its length below
Beattyville, KY because of a series of 14 locks built by the
U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers and now under the management of the state-run
Kentucky River Authority . The primary importance of the locks today is to maintain a pool that allows the city of
Lexington to draw its drinking water from the river. Despite the fact that the Lexington area receives well over 40 inches (1000 mm) of precipitation annually, the
Limestone ,
Karst Geology of that area means that surprisingly little natural surface water is found in the region.
It is formed in central Kentucky at
Beattyville , in
Lee County , by the confluence of the North and South Forks at about 670 feet (204 m) elevation, and flows generally northwest, in a highly
Meander ing course through the mountains, through the
Daniel Boone National Forest , then past
Irvine and
Boonesborough , then southwest, passing south of Lexington, then north through
Frankfort . It joins the Ohio at
Carrollton .
Approximately 15 mi (25 km) southwest of Boonesborough it is joined by the
Red River . Approximately 20 mi (30 km) southwest of Boonesborough it is joined by
Silver Creek . At
High Bridge , it is joined by the
Dix River . At Frankfort, it is joined by
Benson Creek . Approximately 10 mi (15 km) north of Frankfort, it is joined by
Elkhorn Creek .
Between
Clays Ferry in
Madison County and Frankfort, the river passes through the
Kentucky River Palisades , a series of dramatic steep
Gorge s approximately 100 mi (160 km) in length.
According to Robert F. Collins of the
United States Forest Service ,
Dr. Thomas Walker named the river, in 1750, Louisa River, after Princess Louisa, the wife of
Prince William Augustus, Duke Of Cumberland (Walker had just named the
Cumberland River a month or two earlier). Over time the name Louisa became Levisa and shifted to the nearby stream today called
Levisa Fork River .
The ''North Fork Kentucky River'' is approximately 125 mi (201 km) long. It rises on the western side of
Pine Mountain , in the
Appalachians of extreme southeastern Kentucky, in eastern
Letcher County near the
Virginia state line. It flows generally northwest, in a winding course through the mountainous
Cumberland Plateau , past
Hazard and
Jackson . It receives
Rockhouse Creek at
Blackey near its source. Approximately 8 mi (13 km) southeast of Hazard, it receives the
Carr Fork . It receives
Troublesome Creek at
Haddix , southeast of Jackson. Three miles upstream from its confluence with the South Fork, it receives the Middle Fork. It joins the South Fork to form the Kentucky at
Beattyville .
The ''Middle Fork Kentucky River'' is a tributary of the North Fork Kentucky River, approximately 85 mi (137 km) long, in southeastern
Kentucky in the
United States . It rises in the
Appalachian Mountains in extreme southeastern Kentucky, in northeastern
Harlan County , approximately 5 mi (8 km) from the
Virginia state line. It flows initially southwest, in the valley on the eastern side of
Pine Mountain , then passes along the southeastern end of the ridge, flowing north through the
Cumberland Plateau past
Hyden . At
Buckhorn , it is impounded to form the
Buckhorn Lake reservoir. North of the reservoir it flows generally northwest and joins the North Fork in
Lee County , approximately 5 mi (8 km) east of the confluence of the North and South forks at
Beattyville .
The ''South Fork Kentucky River'' is approximately 30 mi (48 km) long. It formed in
Clay County , at the town of
Oneida, Kentucky in the
Daniel Boone National Forest , approximately 10 mi (16 km) northeast of
Manchester , by the confluence of
Goose and
Red Bird creeks. It flows generally north in a highly
Meander ing course through the mountainous
Cumberland Plateau region. It joins the North Fork to form the Kentucky at
Beattyville .
The largest
Goldeye ever taken in the state of Kentucky (2 lbs, .64 oz.) was caught in the Kentucky River.
1
- Collins, Robert F. "A History of the Daniel Boone National Forest". (1975)
- Arthur Benke & Colbert Cushing, "Rivers of North America". Elsevier Academic Press, 2005 ISBN 0-12-088253-1
