"Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land."
- Luna Leopold

As noted by Luna Leopold, streams are integral components of the watershed. These systems not only transport water and sediment, but also provide habitat to aquatic and terrestrial organisms as well as recreational opportunities to the public. However, anthropogenic activities within the watershed can result in a state of disequilibrium, resulting in a stream that is no longer capable of functioning at its optimum physical, chemical and biological states. When such a condition exists, intervention in the form of stream restoration may be necessary. Stream restoration is the process of re-establishing the structure and some or all of the functions (physical, chemical, biological, societal) of these impacted waterways.

In an effort to improve the understanding of watersheds and streams, as well as encourage preventative and restorative activities associated with these systems, several efforts are underway at the University of Kentucky. These activities focus on research, instruction and outreach and include:

• Advancement of knowledge base of watersheds and stream systems through applied-research efforts.
• Instruction and mentoring of students in undergraduate and graduate level watershed management and stream restoration courses.
• Development of watershed and/or stream restoration demonstration projects throughout the Commonwealth.
• Development of outreach materials such as peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and fact sheets.
• Creation of mediums and participation in events that actively encourage and facilitate of communication between stakeholders.

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