Ohio River Water Trail
{{Short description|American water trail}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{geoGroup}}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/8502598-74/trail-ohio-river#axzz3nMVvw9X9|title = Welcome}}{{cite web| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/local/west/2013/04/04/ohio-river-trail-council-water-plans-in-works/201304040303| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151005174442/http://www.post-gazette.com/local/west/2013/04/04/ohio-river-trail-council-water-plans-in-works/201304040303| archive-date = 2015-10-05| title = Ohio River Trail Council water plans in works {{!}} Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}{{cite web| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2010/08/01/plan-for-water-trail-gets-funding/201008010230| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151005155853/http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2010/08/01/plan-for-water-trail-gets-funding/201008010230| archive-date = 2015-10-05| title = Plan for water trail gets funding {{!}} Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}
History
The Ohio River Water Trail was conceived and developed by Dr. Vincent Troia, Executive Director of the Ohio River Trail Council.{{Cite web|url=http://triblive.com//x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_693530.html#axzz3mtu8JH4F|title = Welcome}} 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.{{cite web| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2006/09/03/state-s-water-trails-touted/200609030247| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160322231345/http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2006/09/03/state-s-water-trails-touted/200609030247| archive-date = 2016-03-22| title = State's water trails touted {{!}} Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}
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.{{cite web| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/local/west/2010/07/15/ohio-river-trail-study-nears-end/201007150224| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151005041426/http://www.post-gazette.com/local/west/2010/07/15/ohio-river-trail-study-nears-end/201007150224| archive-date = 2015-10-05| title = Ohio River Trail study nears end {{!}} Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}
Map & Guide
The Ohio River Water Trail Map and Guide is available on the Ohio River Trail and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission websites.{{cite web | url=http://www.water.ohiorivertrail.org/index.php/en/ohio-river-water-trail-map-guide | title=Ohio River Water Trail Map & Guide }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/trailindex.htm |title=Pennsylvania Water Trail Guides and Maps |access-date=2015-09-27 |archive-date=2015-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002193512/http://www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/trailindex.htm |url-status=dead }}
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.[http://water.ohiorivertrail.org/attachments/article/118/PA_Water_Trails_Partnership_Approval_Ohio_River_Water_Trail%20_January_%204_2012.pdf "PA Water Trails Partnership letter"] written by Hannah E. Hardy. Signed January 4, 2012. 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.{{Cite web|url=http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoodsmore/8658678-74/trail-festival-council#axzz3nMVvw9X9|title = Welcome}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-jewell-and-national-park-service-director-jarvis-announce-10-new-national-recreation-trails|title=Secretary Jewell, National Park Service Director Jarvis Announce 10 New National Recreation Trails|date=4 June 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/release.htm?id=1708|title=NPS - Page In-Progress}} 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.
{{Cite web | url=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 | title=Letter to Dr. Vincent Troia | publisher=The Secretaty of the Interior}}{{Cite web|url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/water-trail-from-point-state-park-to-ohio-gets-national-designation/#axzz3mtu8JH4F |title = Water trail from Point State Park to Ohio gets national designation | website=triblive.com}} 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.{{cite web| url = http://www.nps.gov/nrt/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070816121539/http://www.nps.gov/nrt/| archive-date = 2007-08-16| title = National Trails System}}{{cite web |url=http://www.americantrails.org/ee/index.php/nationalrecreationtrails |title=National Recreation Trails hosted by AmericanTrails.org |website=www.americantrails.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302224049/http://www.americantrails.org/ee/index.php/nationalrecreationtrails |archive-date=2014-03-02}}{{Cite web|url=http://wvmetronews.com/2015/06/17/ohio-river-water-trail-earns-national-designation/|title=Ohio River Water Trail earns national designation|date=17 June 2015}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.water.ohiorivertrail.org Ohio River Water Trail]
- [http://www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/trailindex.htm Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission]
- [http://www.americantrails.org/NRTDatabase/trailList.php?usrTrailName=ohio+river+water+trail&usrTrailState=PA&usrTrailCounty=&usrTrailUse= National Recreation Trail]
- [http://pecpa.org/ Pennsylvania Environmental Council]
- [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/rivers/index.htm Water Trail Resources (from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance)]
- [http://www.americantrails.org/resources/water/index.html National Trails Training Partnership: Water and Boating Trails]
- [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/rivers/index.htm National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program ]
{{Trail system |state=expanded}}
Category:Tourist attractions in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Category:Geography of Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Category:National Recreation Trails in Ohio