Kentucky GIS Conference 2024

Each of Kentucky's major river basins, supported by Basin Teams and community partners, uses priority watersheds to address environmental issues and direct resources for focused implementation through coordinated efforts. River basins in surface mining and reclamation areas are critical concerns, particularly in eastern Kentucky. Temporal and spatial mapping of LULC at the watershed level is important for understanding landscape dynamics and ensuring sustainable resource management. This study analyzed LULC dynamics in selected priority and non-priority watersheds of the Big Sandy River Basin, utilizing the NLCD between 2001 and 2021. The results revealed significant changes in LULC, indicating the effects of surface mining and reclamation activities on landscape composition. The findings could help watershed managers, land managers, and policymakers to manage land for the sustainable supply of different ecosystem services and the well-being of the local people in the study area.