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The Ohio River Basin Consortium for Research and Education is holding their annual conference in Athens this year.

 

This year's program focuses on a variety of water topics, including energy, hydraulic fracturing, navigation and conservancy measures.

 

Deb McAvoy is an assistant professor of civil engineering and a co-chair of the symposium.

 

McAvoy says the opportunity to gather and discuss research and policy leads to better efforts to improve the Ohio River basin.

 

"The Ohio River is obviously one of our greatest resources that we have in the region and we have to do things in order to protect that resource so that it is a viable resource for the future," said McAvoy.  "So, when they come to the symposium, hopefully they will learn things and how to protect that resource, how to utilize that resource more efficiently and how to prepare for the future."

 

The Ohio River Basin includes 14 states.

 

McAvoy says about 100 attendees are participating in this year's symposium, which runs through Friday.  Participants hail mainly from Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.  

 

Representatives from the Ohio Enivronmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atomospheric Administration and the United States Geological Survey will also be on hand.

West Virginia, Pennsylania, and Kentucky

 

The program is sponsored by OU's Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology, American Electric Power and several other businesses and agencies.