A long legacy of industrial pollution has made the Ohio the archetype of a "working" river. But the National Wildlife Federation thinks the Ohio could be transformed into a recreation destination.
Some water quality advocates say getting industrial polluters to pay for farm runoff prevention projects is an innovative way to control water pollution. But critics argue it's just another pay-to-pollute scheme.
Though the toxic chemical found in Teflon is no longer made in the U.S., residents in the Ohio River Headwaters region are still dealing with dangerous levels of C8 in their drinking water.
A 600-mile-long algae bloom on the Ohio River in 2015 sent officials scrambling to protect water supplies and looking for answers to prevent future blooms.
As towns on the Ohio River struggle to rebuild their economies, should they be trying to attract more industry or pushing to make the Ohio a recreation destination?
Adding hydropower capacity to the region's many existing dams could be a big new source of renewable energy. But some worry about the impact on the Three Rivers' still-recovering fisheries.
For years, regional agreements have been used to improve watersheds in places like the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. Some advocates argue the Ohio River needs one too.
Is putting a big solar array on the former coke plant site just a pipe dream? Maybe not. The utility that owns it actually has a robust recent history of investing in renewables.
From Shell's multi-billion-dollar ethane cracker to a new whitewater rafting park in Morgantown, there's a lot of new activity coming to the Upper Ohio River.
