JAMESTOWN, Ky. (April 26, 2018) – The 2018 recreation season kicked off at Lake Cumberland April 14 with nearly 100 registered participants braving the rain at the third annual Trout Trot 5K held at the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and Kendall Recreation Area below Wolf Creek Dam.
Developed by the Wolf Creek NFH Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Moria Painter, the Trout Trot hosted its inaugural running in 2016 to mark the dedication of a new Hatchery Creek stream extension.
Hatchery Creek is an entirely man-made trout stream which is stocked and managed by the hatchery. The stream originates at the hatchery’s cold water outflow, which receives its water supply from Lake Cumberland before it joins the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam.
Boasting a scenic route adjacent to Hatchery Creek, the Trout Trot course afforded participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty and diversity of the trout habitat and its surrounding natural resources.
Since its development in 2016, the annual 5K has grown into something more than a stream dedication. It has become an effective interpretive tool. It’s an experience serving to foster a younger generation of responsible stewardship as new runners experience the course and all the landscape has to offer.
According to Painter, anytime visitors are offered an opportunity to immerse themselves in the environment, they gain a better understanding and appreciation for it. As this appreciation grows, so does the public investment in protecting it.
In past years, the event has been coordinated through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Lake Cumberland Resource Management Office, but until now there has not been a Corps presence at the trot. Recognizing the event as an effective platform to reach the public, Lake Cumberland Park Rangers and volunteers seized the opportunity and were present in both the planning, logistical support, and execution of the 2018 running of the Trout Trot. Even Bobber the Water Safety Dog engaged everyone by the creek on race day!
Painter said the event went much smoother with the tremendous involvement of the Lake Cumberland Park Ranger Staff and many of the runners who participated complimented the event.
In addition to a smoother race day, seeing USACE and USFWS working together for the Trout Trot is a great example of a cooperative partnership and it shines a positive light on both agencies in the eye of the public, said Painter.
Moving forward, as participation for this event grows, so too will public involvement in caring for these resources. In the future Painter hopes to see the trend of growth continue with a continued support from Lake Cumberland Park Rangers.
Officials want new visitors to find their way to Hatchery Creek and Wolf Creek Dam, effectively growing the audience for Environmental Education and Water Safety events at Wolf Creek NFH and Lake Cumberland.
For more information about the Trout Trot, readers are encouraged to contact Painter at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery at (270) 343-3793 or Lake Cumberland Park Ranger Cody Pyles at (606) 679-6337.
(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and http://www.facebook.com/lakecumberland, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.)