Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO)

Oh May, what a month it’s been!
It went by so fast it’ll make your head spin.
From weddings, to trips, and roasting mallows by the fire,
From droughts, to floods, from freezing temps to 90’s- lady nature will conspire!

The last week has dumped almost four inches of rain!
I swear, soggy footwear is my existence’s bane.
But finally, the sun has come out and has showered us with its rays,
And NOAA’s forecast says we actually have normal precipitation for the next 14 days!

But all that rain has brought on a bout of high E. coli levels,
Every single sample we took exceeds our standards- oh the bacteria revels!
High rains just flush everything out and those microbes love to rally,
As our own Stacey Cochran said to me, “You can tell it rained in the Ohio Valley!”

Which- stages, flow, and velocity also tell the same tale,
Some areas have almost tripled in speed- might as well set sail!
But I would be careful to recreate on the river this weekend,
Just give it another week, while the water conditions are on the up and have time to mend!

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📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

This weekend is the unofficial start of summer,
We like to kick it off with a bang.
Maybe with a trumpet player and a drummer,
To play the Banner of Star and Spang!

Maybe you partake in a festive parade,
Or find a local swim spot if you risk.
But be wary if in the lake you wade,
The cold water might still be a bit brisk!

Go on and bust out the ol' BBQ!
And throw some dogs on the grill.
Unfortunately, the sun probably won't make it through,
And BBQ'ing in the rain might just give you a chill!

Rain keeps coming and coming,
And stages are expected to reach the skies.
I hope you've got good plumbing,
so the sewers don't back up- E. Coli is on the rise! (in some areas)

Will this rain ever cease?
One can only hope,
Flow and Velocity over the next few days will increase,
Maybe we need to call in a favor from the pope?

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☔ It's been a rainy week across the Ohio River Basin — and that matters if you're planning to get on the river this Memorial Day weekend.

Rain flushes bacteria into the Ohio River from overland runoff and combined sewer systems, and levels can spike quickly — sometimes within hours of a storm or rain event. That's exactly why ORSANCO monitors E. coli weekly all season long.

Our latest weekly water quality report is out now. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend out there!

📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

Congrats to our friends at Ohio River Way! This morning, paddlers and community leaders gathered at Covington Landing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially designating this stretch of the Ohio River as the nation's newest National Water Trail!

The celebration is part of the 6th Annual Ohio River Way Challenge, a 23-day, 488-mile volunteer paddle from Huntington, WV to Evansville, IN — and the first thru-paddle of the Ohio River Way since its National Water Trail designation. Crews are covering up to 35 miles a day in three voyageur canoes, bringing well-deserved attention to this incredible river corridor.

Best of luck to the Challenge paddlers as they continue downstream, and a huge thank you to the Ohio River Way team for your tireless work to connect people to the river, inspire stewardship, and strengthen the communities along its banks.

Happy ! Today, we celebrate the people who show up for the river.

ORSANCO's Ohio River Sweep is in full swing for 2026, and we need YOU! This season-long cleanup effort runs March through October across all 981 miles of the Ohio River — from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL — and all throughout the Ohio River Basin. Thousands of volunteers come together each year to remove litter, protect drinking water, and preserve the natural beauty of our beloved basin.

A huge thank you to all the groups and individuals who have already signed up or organized a cleanup event this season. Your commitment to the river is what makes this program thrive!

Whether you want to join an existing event or organize your own, we've got you covered with supplies and support.

Ready to volunteer? Sign up today: orsanco.org/river-sweep

💙 Want to make an even bigger impact? Consider becoming a sponsor! Sponsorship funds go directly toward staff coordination, volunteer supplies, and outreach that keep this program running strong across the entire Ohio River Basin. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities, see a full list of our program sponsors, visit orsanco.org/river-sweep/sponsors.

Happy Day! Today, we celebrate the people who show up for the river.

ORSANCO's Ohio River Sweep is in full swing for 2026, and we need YOU! This season-long cleanup effort runs March through October across all 981 miles of the Ohio River — from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL — and all throughout the Ohio River Basin. Thousands of volunteers come together each year to remove litter, protect drinking water, and preserve the natural beauty of our beloved basin.

A huge thank you to all the groups and individuals who have already signed up or organized a cleanup event this season. Your commitment to the river is what makes this program thrive!

Whether you want to join an existing event or organize your own, we've got you covered with supplies and support.

Ready to volunteer? Sign up today: orsanco.org/river-sweep

💙 Want to make an even bigger impact? Consider becoming a sponsor! Sponsorship funds go directly toward staff coordination, volunteer supplies, and outreach that keep this program running strong across the entire Ohio River Basin. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities, see a full list of our program sponsors, visit orsanco.org/river-sweep/sponsors.

I’m back! And I’m better than ever!
Just returned home from my Jamaican endeavor,
Hope you didn’t think I’ve abandoned my water quality tribe and clan,
Instead, I’ll just sit here reminiscing of the Luminous Lagoon yelling “Yeah Man!” (bioluminescent algae…so cool!)

But back to water quality…of the Ohio River that is,
This report coming at ya from the best in the biz.
Temperatures this week have slightly decreased at upstream sites,
What’s going on with the sunshine? Did someone turn out the lights?

Stages, flows and velocities have slightly increased at most locations,
We can track them thanks to all those NOAA gauge stations!
E. Coli levels are looking pretty nice with no exceedances this week,
Even with some rain on the way, things aren’t projected to be getting too bleak.
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New this season: explore the data through our Story Map 🗺️ → https://arcg.is/19mr8a0.

Full report & downloadable PDF: https://www.orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report/.

Today is — a good moment to reflect on the Ohio River's biodiversity journey.

Thanks to landmark legislation like the Clean Water Act and decades of collaborative effort, the Ohio River has regained some of its lost biodiversity. The river now supports more than 160 fish species— a testament to what cleaner water can do.

But the work isn't finished. Many species remain threatened, and continued habitat pressures mean the river's aquatic community still needs our attention and protection. For instance, the Ohio River was once home to 127 freshwater mussel species, but today, dozens are endangered or at risk.

That's why ORSANCO conducts annual biological assessments, essentially taking the pulse of the Ohio River. Our team surveys fish and macroinvertebrate communities each year to track the health of the river and identify where more work is needed. Knowing what's there and what's struggling is the first step to protecting it.

A healthier river for wildlife is a healthier river for all of us.

Learn more about our annual biological surveys and assessments: https://www.orsanco.org/programs/fish-tissue/.

Our weekly water quality report is out! Temperatures slightly decreased this week upstream at Pittsburgh, Wheeling, and Huntington, while remaining relatively the same at Cincinnati and Evansville. Stages, flows, and velocities have slightly increased at most locations. There were no bacteria exceedances at the sites sampled this week.

New this season: explore the data through our Story Map 🗺️ → https://arcg.is/19mr8a0.

Full report & downloadable PDF: https://www.orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report/.

A long time ago, in a river not so far away… 🌊⚔️

May the Fourth be with you — Ohio River Basin edition! This Star Wars Day, we're introducing the Jedi Order of the Ohio River. Five incredible fish. Five legendary Jedi. One watershed worth protecting.

From the ancient Longnose Gar (we see you, Obi-Wan) to the Force-sensitive Paddlefish and the critically imperiled Hellbender, the Ohio River is home to some of the most extraordinary creatures in the galaxy — er, basin.

Swipe to meet them all. And remember, Jedi protect what they love. So do we. 💚

📷️: Hellbender, Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

Thank you to the Great Miami Riverway, Fitton Center for Creative Arts, and the City of Hamilton! Our team had a great time bringing our Life Below the Waterline mobile aquarium to the Great Miami Riverway Summit last week! Hundreds of visitors got to learn more about aquatic life in the Ohio River and its tributaries, and come face to face with fish from the Great Miami River.

We had 15 fish species in the tank -14 native and one non-native. Can you spot the non-native fish on the list?

-Longnose gar
-Flathead catfish
-Channel catfish
-Smallmouth redhorse
-Common carp
-Gizzard shad
-River carpsucker
-Quillback
-Smallmouth bass
-Spotted bass
-River redhorse
-Golden redhorse
-Northern hogsucker
-Walleye
-Smallmouth