The Ohio River Basin Alliance Who We Are and Where We’re Going Martin Hettel, Steering Committee Member

 Group of over 200 representatives from over 100 state, local and federal agencies, industry, academia and not-for- profit organizations.  Our Vision is to support and implement integrated management of the Basin’s resources to achieve sustainable economic growth, ecological integrity and public safety.  Our Mission is to form a successful collaboration that will recommend strategies and coordinate actions to address complex water resource challenges and priorities with a unified voice. What is the Alliance?

 Leverage existing authorities, resources and capabilities  Capitalize on existing collaborations  Do not impede or infringe on the mission of any organization 3 Guiding Principles

 Determine Basin Priorities  Collaborate on Issues  Inform the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus on Critical Issues  Develop Plans and Deliver Projects ORBA’s 4 Main Goals Are… 4

Goal 1: Determining Basin Priorities  The four working groups have been active both during and between ORBA conferences in determining their respective priorities  Enterprise & Infrastructure – Kari Mackenbach, Chair  Restoration & Protection – John Stark, Chair  Sustainable Growth & Competitiveness – Harry Stone, Chair  Water Management & Availability – John Hoopingarner, Chair  ALL stakeholders are encouraged to participate

Goal 2: Get Stakeholders to Discuss and Collaborate on Issues  Six Conferences since October 2009  Combined Attendance of 549  Over 100 Organizations have participated  Representing federal, regional, state, local & private organizations: USACE, USEPA, USGS, NSF, NOAA, NWS, USFWS, USDA, NPS, USMA, USCG, ORSANCO, TVA, TNC, ORBCRE, state agencies (15), conservation districts (4), universities (4), energy companies (4), and other organizations (9)

Goal 3: Informing the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus  6 Congressional Briefings since October August 2010, Charleston, WV 2.February 2011, Charleston, WV 3.March 2011, Washington, DC 4.April 2011, Washington, DC 5.September 2011 Huntington, WV 6.March 2012, Washington, DC

Goal 4: Developing/Delivering Projects  December 2011 – TNC and USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division sign Agreement to share information on biological resources in the basin  January 2012 – ORBA members support the Ohio River Basin Fish Habitat Partnership on the aquatic habitat assessment report  March 2012 – USGS/USACE/MWCD working together to install new stream gage on Ohio River at Marietta  April 2012 – ORBA/Marshall University receives $200k from Institute of Water Resources to conduct pilot study on how climate change will impact the Ohio River Basin

Steering Committee  Carolyn Hefner, WVCA  Jessica Fox, EPRI  Marty Hettel, AEP  Kari Mackenbach, URS  Fred Nyhuis, Marathon  Jerry Shulte, ORSANCO  Dr. Charles Somerville, MU  Mike Steinmaus, AEEP  Jerry Sutphin, Historian Working Groups  Water Availability & Management  John Hoopingarner, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District  Restoration & Protection  John Stark, The Nature Conservancy  Sustainable Growth & Competitiveness  Dr. Harry Stone, Battelle  Enterprise & Infrastructure  Kari Mackenbach, URS Consultants, Inc. Ohio River Basin Alliance Structure

 Purpose: Communicate on water resources in the Ohio River Basin by identifying main issues that resonate with the entire Alliance Where we are going?

Summary ORBA has made progress in: Determining basin priorities. Gathering stakeholders for discussion & collaboration. Information source for the ORB Congressional Caucus. Developing and delivering projects.