The 2023 ORBA/ORBCRE Summit took place on October 5th-6th, 2023 at Embassy Suites Cincinnati RiverCenter, located in Covington, KY. The Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) and the Ohio River Basin Consortium for Research and
Education (ORBCRE) have hosted this annual summit since 1985 to provide an opportunity for academia, industry, and regulatory agencies to come together to discuss water issues across the basin. The summit had a feature keynote speaker, Colonel Jayson Putnam, Commander of the Huntington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From 3RQ, Melissa O’Neal (Associate Director, WVWRI) and Rachel Spirnak (Water Resources Specialist, WVWRI) gave presentations.
Building
successful remediation projects is accomplished through a combination of
reliable data, healthy partnerships, and sufficient funding. There is often a
gap between researchers with expertise in water issues and realized stream
restoration projects. A hurdle to many small colleges and universities is a
lack of funding, time, or connections to state agencies and other key
stakeholders involved in stream restoration. Generating Awareness for Project
Success (GAPS) is a collaboration between the Foundation for Pennsylvania
Watersheds (FPW) and Three Rivers QUEST (3RQ) to assist small colleges and
universities carrying out real-world stream restoration projects. Not only does
this enhance student learning, but also grows university-community partnerships.
In turn, faculty and students provide their local expertise and hands-on
assistance. Utilizing over 15 years of experience in coordinating researchers,
grassroots groups, and state agencies regarding stream restoration projects,
3RQ will provide the funding and technical expertise needed to set up a
successful remediation project. The aim of GAPS is to collect the baseline data
and information needed to secure funding for the engineering and construction
of stream remediation projects.