Floyds Fork facts for kids
Floyds Fork is a beautiful and important stream in Kentucky. It's like a smaller river that flows into a bigger one. Floyds Fork is about 62-mile-long (100 km), which is about 100 kilometers. It starts in Henry County and winds its way through eastern Jefferson County. Finally, it joins the Salt River near Shepherdsville in Bullitt County.
This stream is very special because it's the largest watershed in Jefferson County. A watershed is an area of land where all the rain and snowmelt drain into a common stream, river, or lake. Floyds Fork drains about 122 square miles (320 km2) of land. It's also one of the healthiest and cleanest watersheds in the county. This is because there isn't a lot of big building development near it yet. To keep it natural, much of the land around Floyds Fork was set aside in 1993 to stay rural, meaning it's mostly countryside. About 387 cubic feet of water flow through Floyds Fork every second near Mount Washington!
There was a plan called the "City of Parks" initiative. It aimed to buy about 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of land along Floyds Fork. The idea was to create several new parks and lots of trails for hiking and other fun outdoor activities.
Floyds Fork got its name from John Floyd. He was an early surveyor who explored this area a long time ago. During the Civil War, there was even a small fight between Confederate and Union soldiers near Floyds Fork on October 1, 1862. This happened close to what is now US 60.
The Parklands of Floyds Fork: A Great Place to Explore
In August 2010, a brand new system of public parks was created in Louisville. It was named "The Parklands of Floyds Fork" because the stream connects all four main parks. These parks cover almost 4,000 acres (16 km2) (about 16 square kilometers) in the eastern and southeastern parts of the county.
Here are the main parks that make up The Parklands:
- Beckley Creek Park – This park is about 616 acres (2.49 km2) (2.5 square kilometers). It includes the old Miles Park and stretches to South English Station and Echo Trail. A cool part of this park is the "Egg Lawn." It's a huge grassy area, about 22 acres, shaped like an egg, with a walking path around it. This park has awesome trails for running and biking, both in the woods and on groomed paths. It's a perfect spot for family outings!
- Pope Lick Park – This park is about 575 acres (2.33 km2) (2.3 square kilometers). It's just south of Beckley Creek Park and goes for about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) (7.2 kilometers) towards Thurman Road. It also includes the older Floyds Fork Park.
- Turkey Run Park – This is a very large park, about 1,076 acres (4.35 km2) (4.4 square kilometers). It stretches for 4 miles (6.4 km) (6.4 kilometers) from Seatonville Road to Broad Run Road.
- Broad Run Park – Located south of Turkey Run Park, this park is about 685 acres (2.77 km2) (2.8 square kilometers). It extends south to Bardstown Road.
There's also a narrow strip of land called "The Strand" that connects Pope Lick Park and Turkey Run Park. It's about 3.5-mile-long (5.6 km) (5.6 kilometers) and adds another 353 acres (1.43 km2) (1.4 square kilometers) to the park system.
Turkey Run Park is the second-largest park in the city, right after the Jefferson Memorial Forest.
The Parklands of Floyds Fork are managed by a local non-profit group called 21st Century Parks. This amazing park system gets its money from donations, memberships, and a special fund to help with its daily operations.
Protecting Floyds Fork
In recent years, more and more buildings have been planned near Floyds Fork. To help protect the stream from too much development, an organization called the Future Fund has bought 115 acres of land. This land was going to become a housing area, but now it's saved! The goal of this group is to keep the creek natural and make sure it's mostly used for fun outdoor activities, not private buildings. This helps keep Floyds Fork a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.
