KSU students leap to action to save fish left stranded by Buffalo Trace flooding
Kentucky State University students recently helped rescue fish stranded in a pond at Buffalo Trace Distillery following widespread flooding, according to a Facebook post from the distillery.
The fish were found in a pool of water about a quarter-mile away from the Kentucky River, which rose to historic levels during April’s flooding event. The distillery said in the Thursday post the pool was full of fish native to the river, including the Bigmouth Buffalo.
Students from the university’s aquaculture program and Buffalo Trace Distillery VIP visitor lead Freddie Johnson helped rescue the fish from the pool. The distillery said the students used seine nets to safely transport more than 250 pounds of fish back to the river.
“This unexpected moment of teamwork, resilience, and care for the local ecosystem reminded us that the spirit of Buffalo Trace goes far beyond bourbon,” the distillery said in a Facebook post. “Huge thanks to KSU for leading the effort and for letting us share these photos of a one-of-a-kind day at the Trace.”
Johnson’s biography web page says he enjoys fishing, along with other outdoor activities. Johnson is the third generation of his family to work at the distillery and got his start in 2002 as a tour guide.
Days of nonstop rain that began April 2 soaked much of the state, swelling rivers and waterways and leaving seven people dead. The Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock crested at 48.27 feet early in the morning of April 7, just shy of the gauge’s record of 48.47 feet set in 1937.
In the distillery’s 200-plus year history, master distiller Harlen Wheatley noted Buffalo Trace has survived several floods, but this latest disaster was “one of the most severe that we’ve seen.”
By April 15, the distillery said it had resumed bottling inside Blanton’s Bottling Hall, as well as the main bottling hall. Removal of flood water debris and damage was more than 75% complete at the time, and power had been restored to key areas of the distillery.
