SUMMER NEWS

Departure Announcement

Richard Harrison, ORSANCO's Executive Director and Chief Engineer, recently announced that he will be departing ORSANCO effective November 1, 2024 to take the position of Vice President of Engineering and Production with the Northern Kentucky Water District .

Richard notes that working for ORSANCO and its outstanding staff, Commissioners, and partners since 2015 has been the highlight of his 40 year career. Although he is looking forward to the new challenge of working with an outstanding drinking water utility such as the Northern Kentucky Water District, he will always value the exceptional opportunity he has had to work with a phenomenal team to help improve the water quality of one of the most important and diverse watersheds in the world.

Richard will continue to serve ORSANCO as a volunteer in his new role with Northern Kentucky Water District. We wish him the best in his new and exciting position.

Executive Director Vacancy

ORSANCO has a unique and exciting opportunity available for its Executive Director position. Details are available on our website. Please forward to anyone that may be interested.

Submit cover letter and resume emphasizing relevant experience by July 31st, 2024 to employment@orsanco.org or mail to ORSANCO, Attn: Human Resources, 5735 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45230.

Position Description

Thank you Duke Energy Foundation for providing funding for bussing and for sponsoring the Life Below the Waterline Mobile Aquarium!

2024 Ohio River Celebration & Environmental Fair

Connecting Communities to Ohio River Education & Resources

ORSANCO and its partners are hosting the 1st annual Ohio River Celebration & Environmental Fair on September 27th, 2024 at Cincinnati Smale Riverfront Park from 11 AM-6 PM. The celebration will feature interactive booths from partner agencies and groups that work to protect the Ohio River and its resources. Our 2,200 gallon Life Below the Waterline freshwater aquarium will be on display, full of Ohio River fish, highlighting the biodiversity and thriving aquatic habitat of the river.

Event Details

The event is split into two sessions, the first part of the day is catered to schools from 11am-2pm. The second session, is open to general public from 3pm-6pm. There will be over 20 interactive environmental education learning stations and informational booths to visit.

Schools

Registration is required to attend and funding to offset bussing transportation costs is available. Click here to register your school group today!

General Public

From 3pm-6pm, the event will be open to the general public to learn more about the Ohio River and its vital resources with an opportunity to collect information and resources from local environmental agencies and groups.

Agency Participation

Vendor registration is required for all agency booths and includes a small rental fee. Space is limited, click here to register before it’s too late!

Event Page

2024 Ohio River Basin Alliance Summit

Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities: From Headwaters to Mainstem

October 30-November 1, 2024

The Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) is hosting the annual Summit at the University of Pittsburgh from October 30- November 1, 2024. The call for proposals is now open! ORBA is excited to bring together advocates, professionals, and water leaders of all kinds together to learn, plan, and build a diverse identity across our important river basin and we want to hear your ideas! Do you have a presentation to contribute? A workshop you'd like to facilitate? A panel idea that brings together speakers to discuss key issues? Interested in presenting a research talk or poster presentation?

The deadline for submissions is August 9th-click here to submit your proposal

*Multiple proposal ideas are accepted, submit one form per idea*

ORBA Website

Ohio River Sweep 2024 Season

March 1 - October 31

Request supplies today!

Request Supplies

Ohio River Sweep 2024 Season So Far...

How to Volunteer for Ohio River Sweep

Select a date for your cleanup event - Create your own event or view our online map to join a public event that is already registered!
Identify a location - Parks, local land trusts, or boat landings, and walkways and trails by the riverbank are good options. ALWAYS pick a public location, and prioritize areas that have trash cans or dumpsters on site.
Arrange trash disposal - If possible, utilize on site trash receptacles or call your local garbage service / solid waste / recycling coordinator BEFORE the event if you have a large group to collect more trash that you can carry out yourself.
Recruit volunteers - Get the word out about your event! You can request a pdf flyer when you register your event and use our press release template in the toolkit!
Request supplies - Fill out our online form at least 2 weeks prior to your event date once you have all the information needed (# and size of shirts, # of gloves, # of trash bags).
Sign the waiver- Print and sign the waiver for all volunteers and keep for your records.
Attend your litter clean up event - Take pictures and share, be sure to tag us on our social media sites and use the hashtag #OhioRiverSweep!
Complete a Post-Sweep survey - Fill out the online form or paper form that is sent with your supplies. Be sure to include how many people volunteered and how many bags of trash were collected-it's how we track the success of our program!

Have questions? Check out our informational toolkit with additional resources below!

Toolkit

Thank You 2024 Ohio River Sweep Sponsors!

Become a Sponsor

The Ohio River Sweep relies solely on grants, contributions from industries and corporations, and volunteer efforts throughout the Ohio River Basin.

Contributions help to provide promotional materials and volunteer supplies including T-shirts, trash bags, & gloves that help make the program successful.

Donate Today

Life Below the Waterline

A 2,200 gallon mobile freshwater aquarium showcasing Ohio River fish!

Friday, July 19th - Kids Adventure Expo Winton Woods, Cincinnati

Bring your youngest friends and family members to check out our mobile aquarium. Speak to our educators to learn about the Ohio River and the incredible biodiversity it supports!

Our mobile aquarium is accepting applications for 2025, apply here.

Become a Sponsor

It's Algae Bloom Season!

ORSANCO operates four datasondes with telemetry systems along the Ohio River. Sensors on these instruments collect pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and chlorophyll a data every 30 minutes throughout the summer months. Read more about this program here.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with ORSANCO, developed a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) app to predict Harmful Algae Blooms on the Ohio River.

HAB App