Originally Posted by
MagikSmallie
As a fisherman and/or boater it is very difficult for individuals to assess water quality based upon just looks. The only way to really tell is with water sampling and testing to see what levels of fecal matter, heavy metals, Phosphorus, nitrogen, etc, etc. exist. It is true there is a level of pollution in nearly all streams in KY, meaning I wouldn't drink a cup full of water out of any stream without purification. I don't believe it to be an issue to eat meals of fish from the Ohio River, just follow the set guidelines. The number one threat to water quality in my opinion is raw sewage from straight pipes and or municipal sewer overflows, Louisville suffers from the latter. Urban run-off is another major contributor especially downstream from Lexington and Louisville. In short most all water sources except some springs are probably polluted to some degree. Just follow basic local guidelines about fish consumption and you shouldn't have any issues.