The Ohio River system is formed at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in modern-day Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania.It feeds into the Mississippi River as its largest tributary by volume, approximately 900 mi (1448.4 km) downstream near Cairo, Illinois. Its English name comes from the Iroquois word ‘O-Y-O,’ which means ‘big river.‘Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, a Frenchman, was one of the first Europeans to sight the Ohio River in 1669. Another name given by La Salle is ’la belle Riviere,’ which means ‘beautiful river.‘It is likely an understatement to describe Ohio as a minor tributary of the Mississippi River. The pre-Columbian population of eastern North America thought it to be part of a single river that ran through the lower Mississippi. The river is 981 mi (1578.8 km) long and carries the most water of any Mississippi tributary. The Allegheny River was often considered a part of the Ohio River by Indians, early explorers, settlers, and the forks (the junction of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River at what is now Pittsburgh) was considered a critical military area.The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to form the large river. It flows northwest from Pittsburgh through Allegheny and Beaver Counties until abruptly turning south-southwest at the West Virginia—Ohio—Pennsylvania triple-state line. It forms the West Virginia–Ohio border, just upstream of West Virginia. It flows through West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before merging with the Mississippi in Cairo, Illinois.Where does the north shore of the Ohio River flows? Where is its southern border? Read on for fun facts on the Ohio River. Afterward, also check the second longest river in the world and Rhode Island major rivers.Fun Facts About The Ohio RiverThe river runs shallow naturally that has been deepened artificially by a succession of dams. The natural depth of the river varied from roughly 3-20 ft (0.9-6.1 m). The dams have raised the water level, thus turning the river into a series of reservoirs, removing shallow stretches, and permitting commercial shipping.The river’s average depth from its source to Cincinnati is about 16.4 ft (5 m).The first dam and lock on the Ohio River were erected in 1885, and a total of 46 locks and dams were built until 1929. The Army Corps of Engineers started replacing the old structures in the early ’50s with 20 new locks and dams with higher lifts and significantly longer lock chambers.The US Army Corps of Engineers manages the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Region, a national, bi-state area on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. In 1981, federal recognition was granted. In 1966, the falls were classified as a National Natural Landmark.And the Ohio rivers were thought to be part of a single river across eastern North America and into the lower Mississippi by pre-Columbian peoples. The Seneca (Iroquoian) Ohiyo’, a proper name derived from Ohiyoh, meaning ‘great river,’ gave it its name.Amazing Facts About The Ohio RiverThe Ohio River basin is one of the country’s most densely populated and industrialized areas.Eight states— Indiana, Illinois, New York, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia— were negatively affected by industrial and municipal pollution after the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Compact was ratified in 1948 to reduce water pollution. The river currently supports marinas and recreational facilities.While navigation systems, flood-control walls, and levees have altered the river system, its banks still support a dense hardwood forest. Catfish, carp, and buffalo fish are among the many fish species found in the area.Some of Ohio’s most frequent mammals are black bears, coyotes, bobcats, American beavers, and white-tailed deer (the state animal). Around 350 species have been sighted across the state, including ring-necked pheasants, wild turkeys, great horned owls, red-headed woodpeckers, blue jays, and American robins.The black racer, a non-venomous snake also the state reptile, is one of Ohio’s reptiles. Water snakes from Lake Erie and forest box turtles are among the other reptiles. Western chorus frogs, red-spotted newts, and American toads are among the amphibians found in the state.Ohio is home to various trees, including beech, aspen, pawpaw, boxelder, American elm, and slippery elm. Wildflowers abound in the state, including many phlox, trillium, aster, and wild lily.Visitors can learn about the Underground Railroad at Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a network of people who helped bring enslaved people to freedom in the early to mid-1800s.https://pixabay.com/photos/columbus-ohio-city-urban-buildings-1936112/(The confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is at Cairo, Illinois)Worrying Facts About The Ohio RiverWaterway contamination is a common occurrence as a result of industrialization. During a long era of automation, the Ohio River is thought to have been contaminated. The construction of trade routes along waterways resulted in the urbanization of tiny settlements along the Ohio River.The fact that this process took so long makes it more difficult to completely clean up the entire river, especially since toxic chemicals from A.K. Steel, a steel manufacturing company, are present.The Ohio River basin has become increasingly contaminated by nitrate compounds as steel mills have increased. There is also a lot of mercury in the area. These pollutants are difficult to remove, especially when they are poured into the river regularly.The majority of concerns, like many other problems in nature, could be solved if the many factories utilized for industrial development changed the way they operate.The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of mercury into bodies of water above specific levels. On the other hand, the power plants have a variance that allows them to circumvent the act. Therefore they are technically permitted to do so. They are dumping large amounts of mercury into the water, making it nearly hard to remediate the river of contamination.The algae bloom is another outcome of the Ohio River’s pollution. Power plants are once again to blame for the appearance of these algae, which makes cleaning up water more difficult. The nitrates create the algae and phosphates used to clean up the sulfuric acid.The Ohio River Cleanup Commission (ORSANCO) was formed to clean up the Ohio River. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is the acronym for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. Many people believe they are not doing enough to clean up the river. People think they’re disregarding the root causes of pollution, which makes it more difficult to clean the Ohio River thoroughly.ORSANCO, on the other hand, cannot be blamed altogether. They have precise rules that are expected to be followed, and some states refuse to comply. The Ohio River flows through six states, and the rules and restrictions differ depending on which state you’re in. This makes it more challenging to develop a clear set of guidelines for water pollution.Raw sewage, which is released straight into the river at over 1350 locations, is another cause of contamination. As a result, extensive parts of the Ohio River are off-limits to swimming. Non-source pollution, on the other hand, comes in significant quantities from metropolitan areas and diverse agricultural operations.Another critical reason cleaning up the Ohio River will be complicated is that the water is heavily polluted by acid mine drainage. This has a significant impact on water quality. The polluted river is poisoned with high metals and sulfur as it flows through ancient mines. This is an almost impossible task to tackle.In the past, there were 80 species of mussels in the Ohio River, but now there are just 50. Many more species face extinction regularly. While this isn’t a direct cause of the river’s impossibility, it is a fair indicator of pollution.To answer the question, whether the Ohio River is safe for swimming purposes, ORSANCO has responded with mixed answers, mentioning the dangers associated with it. The water quality has significantly dropped which is being taken care of by various programs initiated by ORSANCO, which includes Contact Recreational Bacteria and Harmful Algae Bloom. ORSANCO is responsible for conducting various tests to assess the bacteria and algae level at a month’s interval. Toxins produced by these algae can cause various health issues that might lead to gastrointestinal diseases, skin infections. Thus, it is ORSANCO’s responsibility to take proper measures and inform the public about this.Facts About The Ohio River’s HistoryGeologically, the Ohio River is young. Around 2.5-3 million years ago, the river began to form in bits and pieces. At this time, the first Ice Ages occurred, damming segments of north-flowing rivers. The Teays River was the greatest of these rivers, and the contemporary Ohio River elements run through it. Glaciers and lakes rerouted or absorbed the old rivers.The glacial lakes overflowed into a south-flowing tributary of the Teays River. The upper Ohio River was formed. Then there was the north-flowing Steubenville River (no longer in existence) used to end between the communities of New Martinsville and Paden City, West Virginia, before that incident. The south-flowing Marietta River (which no longer exists) also stopped between the cities.The overflowing lake carved the separating hill, which united the rivers. The resultant floodwaters engulfed Marietta Valley, enlarging it to the size of a major river. The new big river drained glacial lakes and melting glaciers at the end of numerous Ice Ages. With each major Ice Age, the Ohio valley expanded.The formation of the middle Ohio River was comparable to that of the upper Ohio River. A north-flowing river was briefly blocked southwest of modern-day Louisville, Kentucky, resulting in a vast lake that lasted until the dam failed. A new channel to the Mississippi River was carved out, and the upper and middle sections eventually merged to become the modern Ohio River.Despite the river depth, the Ohio River is a naturally shallow river that a succession of dams has intentionally deepened. The barriers boost the water level in shallow stretches, allowing commercial navigation. The Ohio River remains very shallow near its mouth. The river, however, deepens significantly once it passes through Cincinnati.The river’s depth roughly five folds over around 100 mi (160.9 km) due to damming, glacier formations, and migrations in the latter half of the second Ice Age, reaching a maximum depth of 168 ft (51.2 m) just west of Louisville, Kentucky. With an average depth of around 132 ft (40.2 m), the 50 mi (80.5 km) around Louisville constitute the deepest portion of the river, allowing much larger vessels to traverse the river. The river rapidly loses depth from Louisville, with an approximate depth of 20 ft (6.1 m) due to the free-flowing river.Since colonization, the Ohio River has served as a vital transportation corridor. The river has a reasonably consistent flow and is navigable the entire length of its course. A sequence of 13 dams with locks ensures the passage of recreational vessels and commercial ships carrying various minerals and manufactured products like steel, oil, petroleum products, gravel, and manufactured goods. Getting safe drinking water at any Ohio shore is nearly impossible due to the pollution.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 141 facts about the Ohio river that we all should know then why not take a look at oldest river in the world, or major rivers in Peru?
The Ohio River system is formed at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in modern-day Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania.
