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‘Unbuilding’: What might happen if dams are removed in the Ohio River watershed
By Julie Grant The Ohio River watershed is dotted with thousands of small dams. Many are remnants of bygone days of grain mills and the steel industry, which used dams to pool water needed during production. The dams are no longer needed. And, because they can be a safety hazard to boats and a barrier…
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Fighting pollution and apathy on the Lower Ohio
By Jeff Brooks-Gillies When Jason Flickner was a kid, he built a dam on the creek behind his grandparents’ house causing it to flood a neighbor’s basement. When he tells the story now — at 45 and living in the same house — he says his dam was a violation of the federal Clean Water…
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The water is cleaner but the politics are messier: A look back at the Clean Water Act movement after 50 years
This is first in our Good River: Stories of the Ohio Series By Lucia Walinchus In June 1969, a Time Magazine article garnered national attention when it brought to light the water quality conditions in Ohio: a river had literally caught fire. Oil-soaked debris ignited after sparks, likely from a passing train, set the slick…
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