Do you paddle on the Ohio River?
Boaters Beware: More raw sewage headed into the Ohio River
Not many people think it, but locals know it— there are some really good whitewater play spots on the Ohio River.
But safe surfing days are numbered if the commission that sets water quality standards on the Ohio River formally adopts a proposal allowing increased discharges of raw sewage into the river during high flows.
ORSANCO, the interstate commission that sets water quality standards for the Ohio River, announced in February a series of "wet weather" proposals that would weaken water quality standards for the entire length of the river. The proposals would allow more disease-related pathogens to be discharged into the river— exposing boaters, swimmers, and others to increased and unnecessary health risks.
If you paddle and play along the Ohio— West Virginia Rivers Coalition is interested in learning more about your story. Please contact our office to let us know: where you paddle on the Ohio; what water volume you like to paddle; and if you have experienced any health-related problems after paddling on the river.
ORSANCO is holding limited public hearings and accepting public comments on the proposals in the upcoming months. WVRC will keep you updated concerning when and where the hearings are being held, as well as provide talking points for comments to ensure your future experiences on the Ohio River are healthy.
For more information, contact:
Adam Webster
Conservation Director
West Virginia Rivers Coalition
PHONE: (304) 637-7201
EMAIL: awebster@wvrivers.org
It may seem like a crazy idea, but here at AW we run into this quite often. The public perception is that it is OK to dump nasty stuff into rivers during high flows because 1) no one is using them at those times, and 2) the solution to pollution is dilution. Obviously neither of these concepts are very comforting for paddlers out on the water during these times. It is our role to educate water quality managers on our use, by letting them know that they are damaging a beneficial use of public rivers and threatening our health by allowing dumping of dangerous substances into the river during high flows.