Headwaters to the Ohio (H2O) Water Network Launches Assessment of Needs of Community-Based Watershed Groups and Leaders
The Headwaters to the Ohio Water Network (H2O Water Network) is excited to announce that it has launched a needs assessment study to strengthen the work of watershed groups throughout the Upper Ohio River Basin.
As a collaborative network the H2O Water Network connects diverse stakeholders to develop and pursue a shared vision around water quality improvement and stewardship of our integrated water resources. To do that job better, we want to identify the needs of under-resourced individual water stewards and community-based groups working to protect local water bodies with a watershed framework.
Watershed groups and stewards take on many forms. Some are entirely volunteer-run, while others are intermunicipal, and some have reliable funding streams for operations. We will be reaching out to a broad array of stakeholders working with a local community around water issues. The initial phase of this study will include interviews/surveys in 14 counties in Western Pennsylvania. As the project matures we will make sure it expands to be useful for community-based water groups that work as far north as the Seneca Nation and the Chautauqua Lake Region and as far south as the mountain meadow springs of West Virginia.
Throughout this expansive region, many groups and stewards are actively monitoring water quality, partnering on cutting-edge research, advising local governments on financing and maintaining water systems, and helping to write and implement watershed management plans. They fill glaring gaps and serve critical roles. The work of watershed stewards needs to be supported.
