Ohio River Restoration: Community Listening Sessions Report Released
Kentucky Waterways Alliance, the National Wildlife Federation affiliate for Kentucky, has been working with partners across the Ohio River Basin to listen to community members' concerns about the health and value of the Ohio River. The published report, "Community-Driven Solutions To Restore & Protect Ohio River Basin" contains findings from 31 community listening sessions, including those held across Kentucky. Findings from the report are being incorporated into the plan to restore and protect the waters of the 14-state region. This regional restoration and protection plan is being written under the leadership of the National Wildlife Federation and Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.
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. Read the report HERE. The full press release about the report can be read HERE.
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. Read the report HERE. The full press release about the report can be read HERE.
Ohio River Named 2nd Most Endangered River in U.S.
In a report released on April 18, 2023, the Ohio River was listed as the United States second most endangered river. The report cites lack of federal investment and decades of environmental pollution from industrial, agricultural, and municipal development along the river and in the watershed as the primary threats to the Ohio. The 2023 America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report is researched and published by the national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization American Rivers.
A statement of support for the American Rivers report was signed by KWA and several other organizations. Read it here.
The complete American Rivers report can be found here.
“Although we are saddened by this report, we are not surprised,” said Michael Washburn, Executive Director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA). “The East Palestine disaster is only the most recent high profile incident of abuse endured by the Ohio River and the people and animals that rely on it. Despite being one of our nation’s most important waterways, the Ohio River and its basin have long been neglected. Restoring and protecting the Ohio River is not merely the environmentally responsible thing to do, but it is a critical imperative for the health and well-being of our communities and our economies.”
The Ohio River is a vital source of clean drinking water, recreational opportunities, and economic activity for millions of people across the 14 states and more than 200,000 square miles of the Ohio River Watershed. The river provides habitat to 150 species of fish, and the broader watershed supports several endangered species. Beyond this, the Ohio has deep cultural and historical significance, for both its connection to Native American history and for its role as a gateway to freedom for enslaved southerners.
What you can do
“The Ohio is a mighty river,” said KWA’s Washburn, “but at this point in history, it is unable to restore itself. This report should be welcomed as an opportunity to redirect our present course. The future health of the river depends on the choices we make about protecting and restoring this waterway. It is not too late, and our very lives depend on it. We urge everyone to contact their elected officials and ask them to support both the restoration of the Ohio River and the preservation of the Clean Water Act.
For the past nine months, KWA has been working with a coalition to host community listening sessions organized by the National Wildlife Federation. Feedback from the more than 25 sessions is informing a regional restoration and protection plan written under the leadership of the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA), as well as Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), and National Wildlife Federation (NWF). The plan will be delivered to Congress and Biden Administration in late 2023, with the goal of securing funding to implement the plan.
KWA encourages individuals to sign on the American Rivers letter of support for federal funding for the Ohio River here.
A statement of support for the American Rivers report was signed by KWA and several other organizations. Read it here.
The complete American Rivers report can be found here.
“Although we are saddened by this report, we are not surprised,” said Michael Washburn, Executive Director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA). “The East Palestine disaster is only the most recent high profile incident of abuse endured by the Ohio River and the people and animals that rely on it. Despite being one of our nation’s most important waterways, the Ohio River and its basin have long been neglected. Restoring and protecting the Ohio River is not merely the environmentally responsible thing to do, but it is a critical imperative for the health and well-being of our communities and our economies.”
The Ohio River is a vital source of clean drinking water, recreational opportunities, and economic activity for millions of people across the 14 states and more than 200,000 square miles of the Ohio River Watershed. The river provides habitat to 150 species of fish, and the broader watershed supports several endangered species. Beyond this, the Ohio has deep cultural and historical significance, for both its connection to Native American history and for its role as a gateway to freedom for enslaved southerners.
What you can do
“The Ohio is a mighty river,” said KWA’s Washburn, “but at this point in history, it is unable to restore itself. This report should be welcomed as an opportunity to redirect our present course. The future health of the river depends on the choices we make about protecting and restoring this waterway. It is not too late, and our very lives depend on it. We urge everyone to contact their elected officials and ask them to support both the restoration of the Ohio River and the preservation of the Clean Water Act.
For the past nine months, KWA has been working with a coalition to host community listening sessions organized by the National Wildlife Federation. Feedback from the more than 25 sessions is informing a regional restoration and protection plan written under the leadership of the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA), as well as Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), and National Wildlife Federation (NWF). The plan will be delivered to Congress and Biden Administration in late 2023, with the goal of securing funding to implement the plan.
KWA encourages individuals to sign on the American Rivers letter of support for federal funding for the Ohio River here.