2026 ORB Awareness Campaign
#OhioRiverBasinProud
A paddler, birder or hiker on Tellico Creek in Eastern Tennessee, the ‘Allegany’ in Southwestern New York or the Flint River in northern Alabama really enjoy recreating in the Ohio River Basin … and probably don’t know it! The Recreation Workgroup has developed a simple, yet exciting plan to raise awareness in the Basin that citizens and visitors live, work and play in the Ohio River Basin! Visit the #OhioRiverBasinProud webpage to learn how we will showcase recreation events across the basin with organizers who co-brand one or more events #OhioRiverBasinProud, and how to get involved. Contact Risa Shimoda, Recreation Workgroup Chair (executivedirector@river-management.net) for additional information regarding this uniquely strategic, fun campaign that will also make a difference!
#OhioRiverBasinProud Campaign Webinar
To learn more about the #OhioRiverBasinProud Campaign and how to participate in this movement, join the Nature-Based Recreation Working Group in a virtual webinar on March 31, 2026 from 12-1 p.m. ET. This webinar is hosted by Tali McArthur, the Water Program Director for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. No registration is required, simply click the button below to join the meeting or save the meeting URL in your calendar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86353352039
ORB Congressional Caucus Map
Map prepared by James Major, River Management Society. Caucus participation data as of September 2025.
Basin-Wide Recreational Maps
In collaboration with the College of William and Mary, the Recreation Workgroup developed a Basin-wide map (see above) plus individual maps of rivers and streams for each congressional district in the ORB! These can serve as awareness tools that will allow volunteers to educate fellow constituents and inform and encourage representatives to acknowledge and attend district-specific events easily.
Recreation in the Basin Provides
$83.4 billion
in annual consumer spending on outdoor recreation
757,000+
jobs in the Ohio River Basin directly provided by the outdoor recreation economy
$5.4 billion
in state and local tax revenue from the outdoor recreation sector
Recreation Workgroup Highlighted Strategic Actions
Workgroup Objectives
1) Grow the basin's outdoor recreation economy at a rate that exceeds the national average;
2) create a Basin-wide communication plan for recreation that encompasses recreation safety as well as the benefits to public health and quality of life.
Workgroup Leadership
If you'd like to join the Recreation workgroup, email the Chair.
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