MORGANTOWN — A traveling aquarium was parked along Morgantown’s rail-trail Wednesday, giving locals a glimpse into the local fish right in their backyard waters.
Brought to town by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and its educational nonprofit, the Foundation for Ohio River Education, a variety of fish caught downstream in the Monongahela River drew families, students and scientists.
“This is the perfect place and time to host an event like this,” said Bridget Borrowdale, an aquatic biologist with ORSANCO and lead coordinator of its mobile aquarium program. “We are holding our quarterly commission meeting here, our chair is stepping down, and it is just a meaningful opportunity to connect the community with what is living right here in their river.”
The decision to host this event in Morgantown was strategic, explained Annette Shumard, ORSANCO’s director of communications and executive director of FORE.
“Because we have eight signatory states in our compact, we rotate our quarterly meetings around the basin,” Shumard said. “When I saw we were meeting right along the Monongahela River, I knew we had to do something more.”
ORSANCO, based in Cincinnati, has monitored water quality throughout the Ohio River, including tributaries like the Monongahela River, for more than 75 years. In 1957, a study on a particular stretch of water found only two fish. Recent studies in the same area are now showing more than 42 species and more than 8,000 fish.
“That is real progress,” Borrowdale said. “And it proves that policy, science and public engagement make a difference.”
“I have heard so many people walk up and say, ‘Wait, that is in there?’” Shumard said laughing. “They can not believe the diversity. It is like a light bulb goes off.”
One of the fish was a river redhorse, a species highly sensitive to pollution. The abundance of this fish has shown the improvement of water quality.
“People often assume if a river looks brown, it must be dirty,” said Nicholas Callahan, ORSANCO’s environmental education and outreach coordinator. “But brown water usually just means sediment. It is what you can not see that usually tells the real story about water quality.”
Besides the aquarium, the event featured educational booths, rock painting for kids, and a celebration of the regional effort in building river stewardship.
Changing perception and building a movement, Shumard explained, is just part of the goal.
“There is a strange, outdated perception that the Ohio River is filthy or unusable,” she said. “But, it is a source of drinking water for millions. It is a place where people boat, fish, and swim. It is beautiful and it deserserves the same love as other places.”
ORSANCO also holds the Ohio River Sweep, an annual litter cleanup now open to any community within the basin. Anyone can request free supplies, which include bags, gloves, trash grabbers and a T-shirt.
“This is making it easy for people to get involved,” Callahan said. “You do not have to be a scientist to make a difference.”
The fish in the aquarium are released back into the Monongahela after the event and data is taken. Their brief display helps develop a picture of what is out there, as well as establishing a lasting impression.
“What we do matters,” Borrowdale said. “And events like this remind people that clean water is not just about policy and data — it is about life. It is about the pride in where you live.”
