# Water&Management&in&& the&Ohio&River&Basin&

Peter&Tennant,&Deputy&Executive&Director&

# The$Ohio$River$Basin$

# The$Ohio$River$Basin$

 

### 204,000&square&miles&  

### Portions&of&14&states&  

### Over&45&inches&of&precipitation&per&year&  

### Second&largest&tributary&watershed&to&the&Mississippi&  

### Largest&tributary&in&terms&of&flow&

# Major$Water$Uses$

 

### Navigation&  

### Drinking&water&  

### Industrial&use&–&cooling,&process&  

### Hydroelectric&Power&  

### Aquatic&Life&Habitat&  

### Recreation&  

### Waste&Assimilation&

# Naviga6on$system$

 

### 2500&miles&of&navigable&rivers&  

### Entire&Ohio&River&plus&portions&of&seven&tributaries&  

### Nine&foot&channel&maintained&on&the&main&stem&Ohio&  

### 20&navigation&dams&on&the&981&mile&Ohio&  

### Approximately&37&Reservoir&projects&provide&flow& augmentation&  

### 230&million&tons&of&cargo&transported&annually&  

### Up&to&75%&of&coal&consumed&in&the&US&

# Drinking$Water$Use$

 

### 29&municipal&water&intakes&  

### Over&3&million&individuals&served&  

### All&utilities&provide&a&minimum&of&“reasonable& treatment”&–&mixing,&flocculation,&sedimentation,& filtration,&disinfection.&

# Industrial$Use$

 

### Largest&user&is&electric&power&generation&  

### Power&plants&historically&used&once&through&cooling;& newer&facilities&have&cooling&towers&

# Hydroelectric$Power$

 

### Facilities&operational&or&planned&for&most&navigation& dams&on&the&Ohio&  

### Larger&facilities&on&tributaries,&particularly&the& Cumberland&and&Tennessee&Rivers.&  

### Development&has&slowed&in&recent&years&

# Interac6on$of$Uses$

 

### Maintenance&of&navigation&channel&assures&adequate& river&flow&for&water&supply,&water&quality&needs&  

### Navigation&presents&challenges&to&water&quality_& sensitive&uses&  

### Concerns&with&maintenance&of&dissolved&oxygen&levels& below&hydropower&facilities.&

# About ORSANCO

 

### Interstate Compact agency  

### Member states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia.  

### 3 Commissioners per state plus 3 federal

# ORSANCO’s$Beginnings$

 

### 1934_&Cincinnati&Cleanup&Campaign&  

### 1936_&Congress&authorizes&Compact&negotiations.&  

### 1939_&Compact&approved&by&IN,&WV,&OH,&NY,&IL&  

### 1940_&Compact&approved&by&Congress,&KY&  

### 1948_&Compact&is&signed&

# Authority: Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact

 

### The Compact is incorporated in the laws of each of the member states.  

### The Compact is also incorporated in Federal law.  

### The Compact was signed by the Governors and State Commissioners on June 30, 1948.

# Water$Quality$Problems$$ JThen$and$Now$

Then%&%1948%  

### Low&DO&  

### Pathogens&  

### Aesthetics&  

### Toxics& Now%&%2011%  

### Algae&  

### Pathogens&  

### Aesthetics&  

### Emerging&Chemicals& Headquarters: Cincinnati, OH

 Commissioners: 27

 Staff: 24

 Base Budget: $2.6 Million

# ORSANCO$Programs$

 

### Regulatory&(Effluent&Pollution&Control&Standards& for&the&Ohio&River)&  

### Monitoring&and&Assessment&–&(Ambient& Bimonthly,&Recreation&Season,&Biological,&Algae)&  

### Spill&Detection/Response&  

### States&Program&Coordination&(CWA,&SDWA)&  

### Applied&Research&  

### Public&Education&

# Emerging$Water$Resource$ Concerns$

 

### Drought&Impacts&–&Coming&to&a&Watershed&Near&Us&  

### Energy_Water&Nexus&–& Significant) in&The&Ohio&Valley& (mining&and&mine&discharge&impacts,& natural%gas% drilling ,&power&production&needs,&biofuels)&  

### Aging&Water&Resources&Infrastructure&  

### Climate&Change&(wetter?&extreme&events?)&  

### Future&Proposals&for&Out_of_Basin&Transfers?&

# Developments$

 

### Ohio&River&Basin&Commission&has&ceased&operations.&&  

### ORSANCO&has&established&a&Water&Resources& Committee.&  

### ORSANCO&is&receiving&funding&from&several&private&& foundations&to&support&exploration&of&a&role&in&water& resources&management.&

# Surface$Water$Quality$Monitoring$  West&Virginia&  Cooperative&agreement&with& USGS&to&test&GW&quality&by& testing&nearby&wells&and& streams&from&2011_2012&  West&Virginia&Water& Research&Institute&(WVWRI)& has&an&established& monitoring&network&on&the& Monongahela&River&(19& Parameters&including&Br_&&&& TDS)&  Ohio&  No&monitoring&directly& related&to&Drilling&Study%Area%of%USGS%&%WVDEP%Ground%Water%Study%of%Marcellus%Shale% Gas%Play%in%North%Central%WV%% Pennsylvania&  RAIN&&(River&Alert&Information& Network)&–&a&surface&water&protection& network&monitoring& Cond ,&pH,&&& Temp&at&13&Locations&(adding&a&14 th &in& WV)&  Freshwater&Biology&Team&has&a& monitoring&network&for&Fish&Creek,& WV;&Cross&Creek&&& Tenmile &Creek,& PA&  Modifications&to&existing&monitoring& network&to&address&Marcellus.&

 Susquehanna&  Network&of&51&in_stream&monitors&  50%&of&well&applications&get&a& baseline&biological&assessment&at&a&fee& of&$5700& 

# Surface$Water$Quality$Monitoring$Milepoint Chloride%Range% Mg/L% Nitrate/Nitrite% Range% Mg/L% 54.4& 16&_&52& 0.5&–&1.2&

341& 14&_&56& 0.5&–&1.2& 846& 14&_&48& 0.7&–&1.4& Ohio&River&Chloride&and&& Nitrate/Nitrite&Nitrogen&Concentrations& 2006&–&2011&

# Total$Dissolved$Solids/Bromide$ Study$

 

### To&Characterize&ambient&background&levels&of&TDS& &&Bromide&  

### Develop&site_specific&translators&to&convert& conductivity&to&TDS.&  

### Provide&data&to&support&possible&development&of&an& Ohio&River&bromide&stream&criterion.&&  

### Weekly&Samples&from&17&Sites&(4& tribs )&for&1&year& (Dec&‘11&–&Dec&‘12)&Thank%%You%for%Your%Attention% Peter%Tennant% ptennant@orsanco.org%