Ohio River Water Trail
LocationPennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, United States
Length69 mile (111 km)
Trailheads19
UseCanoeing, Boating (motorized), Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Rafting, Rowing, Sailing, and Fishing
DifficultyModerate to Strenuous
Portages 0
Locks & Dams3 - Ohio River Locks & Dams
Lakes and Ponds0
Rivers and Streams5 - Ohio River - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Chartiers Creek – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beaver River – Rochester, Pennsylvania, Raccoon Creek - Monaca, Pennsylvania, Little Beaver Creek - Ohioville, Pennsylvania
SeasonSpring to Fall
SightsOhio River Valley
HazardsSevere Weather
Class II, III white water
DesignationNational Recreation Trail (2015) 69 miles (111 km)[1]
WebsiteOhio River Water Trail

The Ohio River Water Trail navigates the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Columbiana, and Hancock in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The trail is under the stewardship of the Ohio River Trail Council. The water trail or blueway geographically extends from the Three Rivers Water Trail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Newell, West Virginia, and East Liverpool, Ohio. The 69-mile Ohio River Water Trail (ORWT) includes 13 miles of the Ohio River along the Three Rivers Water Trail from "The Point" in Pittsburgh at milepost zero downstream to the Dashields Lock and Dam at milepost 13, 33 miles of the Ohio River from Dashields Dam at milepost 13, downstream to Newell at milepost 46.0, 16 miles of the Little Beaver Creek to Beaver Creek State Park, three miles of the Beaver River to the Townsend (Fallston) Dam, and four miles of the Raccoon Creek.[2][3][4]

History

The Ohio River Water Trail was conceived and developed by Dr. Vincent Troia, Executive Director of the Ohio River Trail Council.[5] The Ohio River Water Trail project originated in 2010 to develop a dedicated safe route for boats that provides a destination for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, small motorized watercraft, and other recreation. These routes establish recreational corridors between specific locations and can include boat launches and access points, day-use sites, and in some cases overnight camping.[6]

The Ohio River Water Trail project's goal was to connect Pittsburgh, Pa to its neighboring communities along the Ohio River while building a sense of place and offering an enormous opportunity for recreation for the 1.6 million residents living along the Ohio River Water Trail in southwest Pennsylvania. To that end, the Ohio River Trail Council specifically focused on establishing four access points for canoes and kayaks: One on the Ohio River in Monaca, two into the Beaver River in Rochester and Bridgewater, and one into Little Beaver Creek at Lock 57 Community Park in Ohioville.[7]

Ohio River Water Trail

Map & Guide

The Ohio River Water Trail Map and Guide is available on the Ohio River Trail and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission websites.[8][9]

Pennsylvania Water Trail

On January 4, 2012, the Ohio River Water Trail received the Pennsylvania designation as an official state water trail by the Pennsylvania Water Trails Partnership.[10] The members of the partnership include the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, National Park Service – Chesapeake Bay Gateways & Watertrails Network, and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program. Each water trail is unique, a reflection of Pennsylvania's diverse geology, ecology and communities.

National Recreation Trail

The Ohio River Water Trail was designated as a National Recreation Trail (NRT) on June 4, 2015.[11][12][13] NRT is a designation given to trails that contribute to the health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,148 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to 485 miles (781 km) in length, have been designated as NRTs on federal, state, municipal, and privately owned lands. [14][15] The National Park Service jointly administers the NRT program in conjunction with a number of federal and not-for-profit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the NRT website.[16][17][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.americantrails.org/NRTDatabase/trailDetail.php?recordID=3876 . National Recreation Trails. AmericanTrails.org. Last Updated 06/11/2015. Accessed 2015-09-15.
  2. ↑ "Welcome".
  3. ↑ "Ohio River Trail Council water plans in works | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05.
  4. ↑ "Plan for water trail gets funding | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Welcome".
  6. ↑ "State's water trails touted | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Archived from the original on 2016-03-22.
  7. ↑ "Ohio River Trail study nears end | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05.
  8. ↑ "Ohio River Water Trail Map & Guide".
  9. ↑ "Pennsylvania Water Trail Guides and Maps". Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  10. ↑ http://water.ohiorivertrail.org/attachments/article/118/PA_Water_Trails_Partnership_Approval_Ohio_River_Water_Trail%20_January_%204_2012.pdf
  11. ↑ "Welcome".
  12. ↑ "Secretary Jewell, National Park Service Director Jarvis Announce 10 New National Recreation Trails". 4 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "NPS - Page In-Progress".
  14. ↑ http://water.ohiorivertrail.org/attachments/article/117/Ohio_River_Water_Trail_National_Recreation_Trail_June_4_2015_Vincent_Troia_Ohio_River_Trail_Council_CEO.pdf
  15. ↑ "Welcome".
  16. ↑ "National Trails System". Archived from the original on 2007-08-16.
  17. ↑ "National Recreation Trails hosted by AmericanTrails.org". www.americantrails.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02.
  18. ↑ "Ohio River Water Trail earns national designation". 17 June 2015.
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