Research

Kentucky state law requires that a comprehensive plan musst be based upon an analysis and forecast of the general population, economy, land use, transportation, communitiy facilities, and any other background information that the Planning Commission judges will further serve the purposes of the Comprehensive Plan.  Click here to learn more about the research that was conducted on local data and national trends.

The Direction 2030 plan is comprised of nine elements. Recommendations and associated tasks for implementation have been developed for each element to implement the Goals and Objectives that serve as the foundation for the plan. The recommendations were derived after extensive public discussions, discourse and dialogue and are based on research which includes local data as well as national trends. They explore different facets of the county’s physical development as well as its economic and social well-being and provide a roadmap for implementation. The policies, tasks, and recommendations in each element are based on and supported by extensive research into each subject.

Research for Direction 2030 included an in-depth review of city information, nine different topic areas like Land Use and Mobility, extensive public involvement, and even involved focus groups like the STEP UP program. The latest local, regional, and national demographic and economic trends were thoroughly evaluated. Each topic area was extensively researched using Census data, GIS tools, and data from other sources. The latest planning trends were also analyzed to ensure that the plan is considering the latest national standards and best practices available.

The water sources for NKWD are the Ohio and Licking Rivers. A source water assessment has been completed on each. The following is a summary of the susceptibility analysis that is part of the source water assessment. Several areas of concern are related to the extensive development of transportation infrastructure, the potential for spills, high degree of impervious cover and polluted runoff. Areas of row crops and urban and recreational grasses introduce the potential for herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer use – possible nonpoint source contaminants. Bridges, railroads, ports, waste handlers or generators, and Tier II hazardous chemical users in the area introduce the potential for spills or leaks of hazardous materials into the source water. Landfills and permitted discharges are relatively high in number for a supply area. Other areas of concern include several segments of streams already assessed as having impairments, power lines right-of-way with potential herbicide use, and residential septic systems located throughout the watershed. Since the intakes are in urban areas, the threat of underground storage tanks leaking must also be taken into account. The District and its partners including the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) and Greater Cincinnati Water Works routinely monitor the source water quality and raise community awareness about watershed protection.