The volunteers, who work together to make the 8th Annual Port of Pittsburgh – Ohio River Watershed Celebration possible, are pleased to announce there is still room on the network cruise for the October 1 Celebration which this year will be on the Monongahela River.

The theme for this year’s event is “The Ohio River Watershed - Fuel for a Nation.”

The two boats of the Gateway Clipper Fleet involved in the Celebration will launch from their dock at Station Square in Pittsburgh. There will be special dock-side activities from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 and the cruise itself will last from 1:00 to 4:00.

The Celebration continues to be free to the public through sponsorships from local businesses, industry, foundations, private citizens, and state agencies. The Prime Sponsor for this year’s Celebration is the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

The Celebration consists of two cruises: the Imagination Cruise on the Empress for students, parents and educators, and the Networker Cruise on the Majestic for adults (18 and over). Participants must pre-register online to attend.

The Imagination Cruise is full. (Upon opening registration, the Imagination Cruise reached capacity in 1 hour and 7 minutes!!!) The Imagination Cruise will enable 400 home school/cyber school students (of various ages) and their parents/teachers (aboard the Gateway Clipper’s “Empress”) to sail the Monongahela River.

The Cruise will use interactive demonstrations and presentations, taking advantage of the unique perspective from the river, to focus on how the watershed has played a role in the historic production and distribution of energy, to learn what role it plays today and to discover what may be in store for the future.

This is a unique opportunity for energy-related organizations and industries to communicate to children, and their parents, how energy needs are met, how these needs impact the resources within the watershed, and what can be done to conserve energy in order to lessen this impact.

“The Networker Cruise” will sail on the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s Majestic on the Monongahela River through the Braddock Lock and Dam. Presentations relating to energy and watersheds will be provided throughout the cruise. Many points of interest, current and historical, will be highlighted with a very informative narration.

Over 50 displays from local watershed groups, businesses, private foundations, and government agencies will provide an opportunity for everyone to learn about and celebrate our history, our accomplishments, and our future at a very relaxing and fun event!

More specifically, this enjoyable cruise focuses on the Port of Pittsburgh and the Ohio River Watershed’s role in providing fuel for a growing nation for over 250 years and how this relates to watershed stewardship, drinking water, river history, aquatic life, river recovery, river resources, economic growth, and energy leadership.

The Celebration would not have been possible without the help and support of sponsors and partners.

Sponsors: Port of Pittsburgh Commission - Prime,CONSOL Energy – Platinum, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds – Platinum, Dominion Foundation – Platinum, BioMost, Inc. - Platinum,Anonymous – Gold, The Municipal Authority of West View – Gold, Dave Hess: PA Environment Digest– Silver, PA American Water – Silver, Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh – Silver, PlasTie, Inc. - Silver, Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh – Bronze, Commonwealth Connections Academy – Bronze, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County - Bronze, ALCOSAN- Bronze, Anonymous – Bronze, Allegheny Energy – Bronze, W. K. Merriman, Inc. – Bronze

Partners: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, PA Fish and Boat Commission, Conservation Consultants Inc., Creek Connections, Pennsylvania DCNR - Jennings Environmental Education Center, Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Butler County Dept. of Recycling & Waste Management, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission - Drake’s Well Museum, National Aviary in Pittsburgh, RiverQuest, Solar Power Industries, Western Pennsylvania Geothermal, Family Tyes, Commonwealth Connections Academy Carnegie Science Center, Venture Outdoors, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, PA Department of Environmental Protection, PA Game Commission, 241 Computers, Gateway Clipper Fleet, Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team, Jane Nugent, Quality Aggregates, US Office of Surface Mining, US Carbon Sequestration Council, Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition, Laurie Popeck, Dave Plank, Stream Restoration Inc.

To register for the event, visit the Stream Restoration, Inc. website.