New Ohio River Basin Caucus Could Result in Much Needed Support for River Projects

Cities like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Newport and Louisville all developed where they are because of the Ohio River.  Historically the Ohio River has proven to be incredibly important to the development of the nation's inland cities - something that still holds true to this day.

To make sure that this resource is properly recognized, United States Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH) have established the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus to address critical economic, infrastructure, agricultural, environmental, and community issues within the entire Ohio River Basin and watershed.

"The Ohio River Valley has long been a critical economic pipeline that connects manufacturers, farmers and other businesses to markets across our nation and around the world," said Rep. Capito.

In regards to Cincinnati, Rep. Driehaus sees the new caucus as a way to rally support behind important projects that might otherwise be overlooked by members of Congress.

"Having the caucus will allow us to mobilize our members behind district-level projects," said Rep. Driehaus.  "We need to be looking at balanced development and commerce along the river, we need to look at securing our water facilities, and we need to look at improving water quality."

Rep. Driehaus discussed the importance of working with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) to improve water quality and address concerns surrounding combined sewer overflows.  At the same time, Rep. Driehaus also sees this as a great opportunity to help secure much needed funding to replace the Brent Spence Bridge and improve the locks and dams along the river.

"The Ohio River is our most valuable asset, and I feel that for too long it has been underutilized and underappreciated," said Rep. Driehaus.  "We need to be looking at the Ohio River in terms of intermodal transportation that benefits the larger region."

The new Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus could potentially include as many as 55 congressional members whose districts fall within the Ohio River basin, and stretch over 14 states covering 203,940 square miles.  More than 25 million people also live within the river basin.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy