The natural flow carries whatever is washed into the water downstream to larger bodies of water. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) - a quasi-regulatory agency created to control pollution of the Ohio River - sets baseline water quality standards for the Ohio River. One man paddles the river in a kayak every day just to collect trash. The river is extremely diverse and very clean for a body of water with its diversity and size, a fact that belies its appearance most days. The more I studied and experienced, the more I realized that even the smallest piece of plastic or a single wrapper could negatively affect not only the environment but the people I care about most. As you go up the food chain, animals take in everything that the previous animal also consumed, including toxins. This month, the barge will work on a part of the Ohio River, about halfway between Cincinnati and Portsmouth. Additionally, humans and other land species get exposed to chemicals such as Bisphenol A, or BPA, used in many plastics such as bottles and adhesives. As a result, the Ohio River is the source of drinking water for more than three million people. Elble is the Floyd County coordinator for the Ohio River Sweep, a multi-state volunteer event to clean up the banks of the Ohio River. He's spent 13 years working on the barge. Communities are working to remove the river’s dams, restoring habitat for fish and other wildlife. (Credit: Christopher N. Lorentz) Every September since 2007, open-water swimmers have leapt off the Serpentine Wall at Cincinnati's Sawyer Point and into the Ohio River. While the impacts of these chemicals are not fully understood, current research has shown that high doses of these chemicals in humans may lead to health problems such as reproductive issues, skin problems, and eyesight imparities. The Ohio River Sweep is a volunteer, riverbank cleanup that extends the entire length of the Ohio River. Volunteers are essential to the operation, too. The length of the Ohio River is approximately 1,579 kilometers (981 miles). And they gave industries 10 years to comply with that. The Ohio River flows through or along the border of 6 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It is a focal point for many local writers and artists, and a prime location for fisherman and families. Becoming entangled, mistaking. The most common garbage the group collects is … Styrofoam cups, toy dinosaurs, giant innertubes, fully intact lightbulbs, even hidden messages inside of glass bottles- these items provide a glimpse of what one can expect to uncover during the annual Ohio River Sweep. The current campaign is to bring awareness to the organization’s Ohio River Clean-Up Project. The Ohio River flows through or along the border of 6 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Harris is one of ten full-time crew members. Much of the trash gets washed up onto the shoreline, leaving not only an unappealing look for the river but also many dangers for the wildlife. Mike Coyne-Logan is a crew member and educational facilitator for Living Lands and Waters. The Ohio River is a 981 miles long river that is found within the region of Laurentia in the US. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. California Consumer Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Living Lands and Waters is a national non-profit that works to clean rivers across the country, For the next three weeks the group and dozens of volunteers are working to clean up trash along the Ohio River, Living Lands and Waters is reliant on corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and a limited number of government grants. Additionally, humans and other land species get exposed to chemicals such as Bisphenol A, or BPA, used in many plastics such as bottles and adhesives. “One of those barges is also an excavator barge that allows us to get bigger items from sunken boats and cars that work their way into the river – to just stuff that's too heavy for us to get by hand.” “We definitely put a dent in it and we make a difference every year,” said crew-member Brady Harris. According to the Living Lands and Waters website, through its work it has pulled more than 87,000 tires form U.S. rivers, nearly 9,000 barrels, 350 televisions, 13 prosthetic limbs, 111 mattresses, and nearly 1,000 refrigerators. I care a lot about the Ohio River so it’s very concerning to see the amount of trash along its shores. Probably as bad a river that we work is the Ohio River.”  Good River: Stories of the Ohio is a series about the environment, economy and culture of the Ohio River watershed, produced by seven nonprofit newsrooms. ORSANCO manages numerous programs which routinely monitor the water quality of the Ohio River. Debris from the last rain storm, plastic bottles, glass shards, tires, buckets, plastic bags, children’s toys are all things you can find along the banks. Traditional images of water pollution often consist of a pipe spewing industrial contaminants into a river. The Ohio River is a lot cleaner than it used to be. ... Agency to reduce the nutrient pollution in the Ohio River. You are the campaign manager for a well known environmental outreach organization. All must comply with Clean Water Act regulations and are subject to USEPA approval (October 2010) ORSANCO commissioners voted to … Part 1, Proudly powered by Tuto WordPress theme from. At that time, little had been done to stop the pollution. There are also 3 part-time crew members who make up the team. So how does trash get into the river in the first place? The most common garbage the group collects is single-use plastic items, barrels, and tires. It is the third biggest river by discharge volume in the United States, starting its flow from western Pennsylvania and ending on the Mississippi River at the southernmost tip of Illinois.. It was later identified as Microcystis, the genus of cyanobacteria that causes harmful algal blooms. https://www.budgetdumpster.com/resources/river-cleanup-guide.php Five million people rely on the Ohio River for their drinking water, and despite decades-long cleanup efforts, the river remains one of the most polluted in the country. The Ohio River is a major river artery of the east-central United States. Groups that advocate for water quality are urging the incoming Biden administration to meet the goals of the Clean Water Act, which means reducing what's known as nutrient pollution in the Ohio River. Our environment is our future, it’s great to see young people who are concerned about protecting it. The Ohio River at a Glance • The Ohio River is 981 miles (1582 km) long, starting at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ending in Cairo, Illinois, where it flows into the Mississippi River. Ohio River states may then elect to adopt those standards or more strict ones. “We've got five barges that we use to sort and collect the stuff that we pull from the river,” Coyne-Logan said. Sewage overflows and failing septic tanks plague many cities and towns across the Ohio River basin. The natural flow carries whatever is washed into the water downstream to larger bodies of water. Before I began studying water ecosystems, when I saw a piece of trash in a stream or river, I knew it was bad, but didn’t understand the full implications. • The Ohio River flows through or … The Ohio River is said to be one of the largest of U.S. rivers in terms of its volume, and is said to be surpassing many others, worth mentioning alongside the mighty Mississippi River. A tributary of the Mississippi, the Ohio is even larger than the Mississippi at the point it drains into the latter. As a bonus, employees who reach 40 hours of community involvement get the chance to apply for special community projects. Lemoine is with a group of volunteers from California who are spending time on the Ohio River. The Ohio River is a major river artery of the east-central United States. Parts of the river still suffer from unhealthy amounts of sewage. Field Station Director, Dr. Christopher Lorentz, has been in this river cleanup ever since its inception and has been an active member in many other conservation efforts for decades. Whether the trash was tossed into a creek upstream, or if it was accidentally dropped on the ground in a local park, it still ends up in the river, waiting to encounter one of the hundreds of species that inhabit the Ohio River. Since then, it has collected more than 10 million pounds of trash from 24 rivers in the U.S.  This debris includes branches and sediments, but it also includes trash. Until that is done, the spouse cannot inherit anything. Every volunteer is provided a trash bag for smaller pieces of debris found along the banks, however creative thinking and teamwork are often required to transport the items that are a bit too large for the bags. Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission has announced that the 31st annual Ohio River Sweep is … The group is reliant on corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and limited government grants to operate. The hours can be achieved individually or as a group of Smartwooligans out to do good. Events like Riversweep are getting people involved in actually making positive change happen. “What I really remember was going out on a boat that takes people on river and Lake Erie tours,” says Cleveland-native Frank Greenland of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is … The Ohio River Clean Up 29.01.19 — ryan struck The banks of the Ohio River a group of like minded businesses partnered with an awesome nonprofit to remove 56,088 lbs. But there are dangers to animals throughout the ecosystem beyond those who mistake plastics for food. But pollution still threatens aquatic life and creates water unfit for human consumption. 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