The report underscores community-driven concerns for restoration priorities to combat pollution and flooding and safeguard clean drinking water

By WV Rivers 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – From toxic pollution to sewage contamination and flooding, West Virginians throughout the Ohio River Basin are raising alarm bells about the state of local waters, according to a report released this week by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Ohio River Basin Alliance. West Virginia Rivers Coalition worked in collaboration with NWF, ORBA, and advocacy groups across the region to host community listening sessions to define priorities that will drive the Ohio River Basin Alliance’s plan to restore and protect the waters of the Ohio River Basin. ORBA aims to present a comprehensive restoration plan to the U.S. Congress later this year, advocating for federal investments to enact the plan’s recommendations. 

The report reflects insights gathered from 31 community listening sessions held between 2022 and 2023, including four co-hosted by West Virginia Rivers Coalition in Wheeling, the Parkersburg area, Huntington, and Williamson. 80 percent of the rivers, streams, and wetlands of West Virginia are within the Ohio River Basin and ultimately become part of the Ohio River. Access the report here. 

Heather Sprouse, Ohio River Campaign Coordinator at West Virginia Rivers Coalition, emphasized, “People care about the health of the Ohio River. Our communities know that safeguarding our water is essential to our health, the strength of our local economy, and the future of West Virginia.” 

In total, over 500 residents were engaged across the 14-state Ohio River Basin region that spans from New York to Alabama and all the way to the Mississippi River. 25 million people live within the Ohio River Bain including 5 million that draw their drinking water from the Ohio River. 

“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.  

Key findings of the new report, “Community Priorities for Ohio River Basin Restoration and Protection,” include: 

1. People see drinking water contamination as a top concern, along with flooding; 

2. People see pollution prevention as essential to prevent new harm to people and communities; 

3. People see the restoration of local waters tied to the health of local communities and increased quality of life; and 

4. People see restoration investments as strong economic drivers and want local workforce development. 

Deputy Director of West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Autumn Crowe, stressed, “Each year, Congress invests in healing our nation’s great waters, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. Federal restoration of water resources in these regions has led to significant benefits for local people. These benefits can include protecting property from floods, increasing affordable drinking water hookups to homes, reducing pollution, increased access to outdoor recreation and more productive farmlands. Our communities in the Ohio River Valley deserve these investments, too.” 

Reflecting on the sentiment expressed in the listening sessions, a participant shared, “I am an eighth-generation West Virginian, and I’ve lived along the Ohio River or one of its tributaries almost my entire life. It’s hard for me to imagine living anywhere else, it’s home, it’s been the water that I drank and washed in, and it’s been the water that’s part of my body and my life, all my life.” 

U.S. Rep. McGarvey of Kentucky, who Co-Chairs the Ohio River Basin Caucus, said, “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.” 

Check wvrivers.org for details about upcoming webinars around the report. 

Courtesy Article. Photos © Michael M. Barrick.