On February 13, the Ohio River Basin Alliance and the National Wildlife Federation released a new report-- Community Priorities for Ohio River Basin Restoration and Protection -- identifying community-driven restoration priorities to address pollution, clean water concerns in 14-state Ohio River Watershed.

Toxic pollution, sewage contamination and flooding are just some of the concerns people in the Ohio River region have about local waters.

The report’s findings stem from 31 community listening sessions held in 2022 and 2023 for residents in the Ohio River Basin that includes Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The entire Western third of Pennsylvania is included in the Ohio River Watershed.

Input from the sessions is being used to inform the Ohio River Basin Alliance’s plan to restore and protect the waters of the Ohio River Basin.

The plan, once complete, will be delivered to the U.S. Congress, with the goal of securing the federal investments to implement the plan’s recommendations.

Priorities

Among other findings in the new report are--

-- Drinking Water Contamination/Flooding: People see drinking water contamination as a top concern, along with flooding.

-- Preventing Pollution Essential: People see pollution prevention as essential to prevent new harm to people and communities.

-- Increasing Health/Recreational Opportunities: People see the restoration of local waters tied to the health of local communities and increased quality of life, such as increased access to recreational opportunities.

-- Restoration Can Drive Job Creation: People see restoration investments as strong local economic drivers and want workforce development and job training programs so local workers can benefit from restoration actions.

-- Road Spreading Drilling Wastewater Pollutes Fields/Waters: Residents are concerned that the practice of spreading brine-laced drilling wastewater or its byproducts for de-icing on roads has the potential to contaminate nearby fields and waters.

“A top priority for the Ohio River Basin Alliance is to ensure that the final Ohio River restoration and protection plan is a community-driven document that encompasses the clean water priorities of people in cities and towns across the region,” said Craig Butler, chair of the Ohio River Basin Alliance. “We are listening to communities, taking their comments to heart, and incorporating their ideas into a blueprint to restore these vital waters by supporting solutions that benefit our environment and economy.”

“The Ohio River is vital to my district, Louisville, Kentucky, and our region’s economic success,” said U.S. Rep. McGarvey, Co-Chair of the Ohio River Basin Caucus. “Thank you to everyone at the Ohio River Basin Alliance and National Wildlife Federation who worked on this report to show just how much people care about protecting the Ohio. I’m committed to working with my bipartisan colleagues in Congress to get the Ohio River the funding it needs to restore and revitalize it for generations to come.”

“Residents are dealing with serious threats to their drinking water, health, and well-being—and they want those problems addressed with a sense of urgency,” said Jordan Lubetkin, director of Ohio River Restoration for the National Wildlife Federation. “The onus is now onus to take what we’ve heard in local communities and put forward manageable solutions, so that every person in the region has access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water, healthy communities, and recreational opportunities. The good news is that we have solutions, and it is time to use them, before the problems get worse and more expensive to solve.”

Findings from the report are being incorporated into the Ohio River Basin Alliance’s plan to restore and protect the waters of the 14-state region, which is being written under the leadership of the National Wildlife Federation and Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.

More than 25 million people live in the Ohio River Basin and depend on its interconnected waters for their drinking water, public health, jobs, recreation, and quality of life.

The goal is to secure federal investments to restore and protect the connected rivers, wetlands, and streams of the 14-state Ohio River Basin.

Every year, the U.S. Congress invests in actions to heal the nation’s great waters, including the Chesapeake Bay, Florida Everglades, and Great Lakes.

Ohio River advocates are hoping that the regional restoration plan is a catalyst for increased federal action to address long-standing threats to the region’s water, including sewage contamination, toxic pollution, mine waste, invasive species, runoff pollution, and habitat loss.

Click Here for a copy of the report.

Visit the Ohio River Basin Alliance and the National Wildlife Federation website for more information on Ohio River Watershed restoration initiatives.

Questions about the report should be directed to--

-- Ohio River Basin Alliance: Craig Butler, cbutler@mwcd.org,  (614) 284-3927

-- National Wildlife Federation: Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org,  (734) 904-1589

-- Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission: Richard Harrison, rharrison@orsanco.org

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- Ohio River Basin Alliance, National Wildlife Federation Report Identifies Community Concerns, Priorities For Local Waters In Ohio River Watershed  [PaEN]

-- DEP Approves PennEnergy Resources 1.5 Million Gallon/Day Water Withdrawal For Shale Gas Drilling From Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission March 14 Meeting On Rulemakings, Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Related To Shale Gas Development; And On Cooperative Fish Nursery General Permit  [PaEN]

-- DOE Invests $17 Million In 3 Projects To Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply Chain: 1 In PA, Another To PA Company [Coal-Related] [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts March 4 Hearing On Proposed Core5 Warner Road Warehouse Project In Pocono Twp., Monroe County  [PaEN]

-- USDA Now Accepting Applications For Urban Agriculture & Innovative Production Grants  [PaEN]

-- PA American Water Now Accepting Applications For Water & Environment Grants  [PaEN]

-- Call For Abstracts/Posters: Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership 2024 Stormwater Symposium Oct. 16 & 17  [PaEN]

-- Reminder: PA Lake Management Society Annual Conference Feb. 28-29 In State College 

NewsClips - Watersheds:

-- Beaver County Times: DEP Approves PennEnergy’s Request To Drain Water From Big Sewickley Creek

-- LancasterOnline: Plain Sect Lancaster County Farms Gain $2.2 Million In State Conservation Funds

-- TribLive: Westmoreland’s Larry Larese Recognized By Export Boro For Contributions To Conservation, Development

-- Scranton Times: Mayfield Logistics Park To Still Receive Nearly $15 Million In Federal Funds For Mine Reclamation, Funding Source Changing

-- Scranton Times: River Advocates, Enthusiasts Wonder If Reservoir Construction Project Muddied Waterways Could Have Been Prevented

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna Commissioners Want Criminal Probe Of PA American Water Dam Project That Polluted Roaring Brook, Lackawanna, Susquehanna Rivers With Sediment

-- Scranton Times: DEP To Study Water Samples  From Roaring Brook, Lackawanna River Muddied By Dam Project

-- Scranton Times: Fish Commission Cancels Trout Stocking In Lower Roaring Brook Because Of Muddied Water From Dam Project

-- WFMZ: Montgomery County Working On Plan To Mitigate Flood Damage Centered On 4-County Perkiomen Creek Watershed

-- The News-Item: Shamokin Creek Restoration Plan Should Be Ready By Summer

-- Penn State Extension March 19 Webinar: Five Steps For A Healthier Farm Pond, Noon

-- Chester County Press: Octoraro Watershed Assn. Photography Contest Now Open [Chester, Lancaster Counties]

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Feb. 16 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Lock Haven Express: Clinton Conservation District Introduces New Staff Members

[Posted: February 13, 2024]

2/19/2024