In collaboration with our partners we work to protect and preserve our environment and Riverfest On Tour! is an opportunity to celebrate our most precious resource: water. MORPC and the partners of Riverfest On Tour! use this festival as an opportunity to educate the community about water. We benefit from our waterways every day, from drinking water to wildlife shelter to recreation.
Watersheds in Central Ohio drain into the Scioto River, then into the Ohio River, Mississippi River and ultimately end up in the Gulf of Mexico. A watershed is an area of land over which water runs on its way to a river. Therefore, everything that occurs in a watershed has either a positive or negative effect on the health of its river.
The 8 largest rivers in the United States, based on volume, are the Mississippi River, St. Lawrence River, Ohio River, Columbia River, Yukon River, Missouri River, Tennessee River, and Mobile River.
What You Can Do to Help:
In Your Home:
• Reduce use of lawn and garden products – follow directions for use found on packages.
• Recycle oil and other petroleum products.
• Never throw anything away into a stormdrain because they empty directly into your local stream or river – without any treatment.
• If you have a septic tank, maintain it.
• Keep stormwater on your property through us of rain gardens and rain barrels.
• When you walk you pets, properly dispose of pet waste in a trash can or toilet.
• Plant native vegetation to provide habitat for wildlife.
On the Farm:
• Properly use and manage herbicides, fertilizers and manure from livestock.
• Work with your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office to enroll in conservation programs.
In Your Community:
• Support land-use planning.
• Let your local, state and federal officials know you care about water quality.
• Support community planning efforts that preserve ecological areas such as wetlands, streamside forests and steep slopes.
• Support efforts to reduce impervious/hard surfaces.
• Support the use of stormwater-reduction practices to prevent flooding and water quality impacts.
Get Involved:
• Get involved in a local watershed protection group.
• Click here to find out what watershed you are located in and join your local watershed to get involved: