Today's water quality problems in the Ohio River and its major tributaries are generally the result of small contributions of pollution from many sources, rather than large discharges by a relative few sources. Studies to determine the specific contributions of pollution from these sources and the effects of various control options are highly complex and generally beyond ORSANCO's financial capabilities. Such studies often are too costly for any single discharger to conduct. Many regulatory decisions must therefore be made without adequate supporting data.

In order to facilitate cooperative efforts to provide better supporting data for regulatory decisions, ORSANCO established a program under which interested parties may contribute funding to support applied research on Ohio River water quality parameters. Initial funding was provided in 1993 by several industries and municipal utilities. A steering committee consisting of industrial representatives and ORSANCO Commissioners, was established to oversee the program. The steering committee recommends projects to be funded by this program to Commissioners.

Projects funded through this program include:

• Biological Management Information System
• Methods for Developing Site-Specific Water Quality Criteria for the Ohio River
• Guidelines for Delineating Mixing Zones for the Ohio River: Part I: Calculation of Mixing and Review of State Policies
• Guidelines for Determining Background Water Quality Conditions
• Evaluation and Recommendation of Water Quality Models for the Ohio River
• Trend Analysis of Ohio River Fish Populations
• Comparison of State/Federal Water Quality Regulations Affecting the Towing Industry on the Ohio River

Click here for the ORSANCO/Ohio River Users Program Progress Report:
Ohio River Users Program Progress Report

For more information on the Organics Detection System, contact:
Public Information Department