The Ohio River Channel A Periodic Update from the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
July 2018
Rivers (and Streams) Run Through It
ORSANCO is currently participating the US EPA's 2018-2019 National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA). The goal of the survey is to assess all waterways, including rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, etc. across the nation. ORSANCO staff will sample waterways within the Ohio River Basin, including areas within the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. Water quality data will be collected by ORSANCO and given to US EPA for assessment and later release to the general public. The NRSA data will also provide ORSANCO with additional information to consider when investigating basin-level issues and their potential influence on main stem Ohio River conditions. More information about the NRSA can be found on US EPA's website.
Life Below the Waterline in the Windy City
ORSANCO's traveling aquarium spent time on a new watershed this summer - the Great Lakes Watershed. Chicago's Shedd Aquarium borrowed our mobile aquarium to connect people, including children, with nature by bringing native aquatic life to neighborhoods across Chicago. Shedd's TravelingAquariumfeatured examples of species found in Lake Michigan to exemplify the diversity and beauty of the Great Lakes ecosystem. ORSANCO will continue to display the Life Below the Waterline aquarium within the Ohio River Basin this summer and fall. The schedule of displays within the Ohio River Basin can be viewed on ORSANCO's website.
A National Geographic Spotlight - Water Art Heroes!
Cathie Pearson, one of our volunteer RiverWatchers teachers from Woodland Hills Academy in Pittsburgh, PA, was recently recognized as Educator of the Week for designing a H2O Heroes project. Her students collected hundreds of pounds of plastic trash from their school to create art and raise awareness about ocean pollution. After learning about water quality from around the world, her students decided to continue the lesson with a fundraiser for the
Water Project. To learn more about Cathie, her students, and their adventures in water art, click
here.
