But not Floyds Fork.
Consider: A $362,000 effort led by Kentucky Waterways Alliance to build consensus on a voluntary plan to manage the Floyds Fork watershed blew up in 2008 when another environmental group, Floyds Fork Environmental Association, sued all participants and claimed it was shut out of the process.
New planning effort Louisville planning officials said they will try one more time starting this summer to reach consensus on development in the Floyds Fork area, with the support of Stuart Benson, a Republican who represents the area on the Louisville Metro Council.
Its watershed drains 284 square miles in six Kentucky counties, and state officials are quick to point out what happens in all those counties — not just Jefferson — affects its water quality.
He said farmers wanted to make sure the Floyds Fork plan was done properly and contended that the computer modeling done for the plan by Tetra Tech was flawed.
Frank said he believes the delay was in large part because the modeling has revealed the seriousness of the pollution problem and how it could potentially limit growth.
"The real answer is (the state) didn’t like the model’s results," he claimed, adding that Friends of Floyds Fork wants to make sure the state and EPA complete what they started after the Future Fund lawsuit.
He said developers are interested in building in southeast Jefferson County, which is now zoned for one home every 5 acres.
Park as growth magnet Larger rivers are better able to absorb the treated discharge from sewage plants, and MSD explored a long-term solution of joining with other surrounding counties to construct a big, regional sewage treatment plant in the Fort Knox area on the Salt River near the Ohio River.
"But if we build the way we’ve been building, we will kill the creek."