The Ohio River Basin is home to over 30 million people across 14 states. At its center is the 981 mile-long Ohio River, the third longest river in the US. Even though the Ohio provides drinking water for 5 million people, it is polluted with farm runoff and industrial waste. Algal blooms and other water quality-related health concerns periodically disrupt recreation and fishing.
Protecting and restoring these natural ecosystems is essential for the long-term resilience and economic success throughout the basin, but because it is not federally protected, the basin does not receive the targeted federal funding of other large water systems, such as the Great Lakes.
In 2024, Earth Economics, with funding from The Kresge Foundation, supported the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) with a high-level valuation of co-benefits created by natural ecosystems in the Ohio River Basin. The study found that the 68 million acres of natural ecosystems in the Ohio River Basin produce at least $50 billion in annual benefits, and $1.17 trillion in benefits over 30 years at a 2-percent discount rate.
This is a baseline estimate. Earth Economics used a function transfer model based on 1,467 values across 181 studies sourced from our database of ecosystem services benefits. Due to limitations in the supporting literature, the full economic value produced by the ecosystems of the Ohio River Basin is likely much greater.
“The value of the ecosystem services within the Ohio River Basin cannot be overstated. Estimated, conservatively, at $50 billion annually, these services are foundational to the vitality of the economies and communities throughout the 14-state region of the Basin. We cannot thank the team at Earth Economics enough for this innovative and groundbreaking seminal report.”
Legislators cannot make informed decisions without including the value of nature. Knowing the value of ecosystem services helps communities throughout the basin advocate for policies to protect and conserve critical ecosystems. This study supports ORBA’s Restoration Plan, which calls on Congress to designate the Ohio River and its tributaries as a valuable water system. In December 2024, the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus Co-Chairs introduced the Ohio River Restoration Program Act, endorsed by ORBA. It was not acted upon during the last legislative session but will be reintroduced in 2025 to the new Congress. If passed, this historic bill will establish an Ohio River National Program Office
ORBA seeks to establish a structure for receiving federal funding to restore the Ohio River Basin. Members from the National Wildlife Federation and ORSANCO are drafting the Ohio River Restoration and Protection Plan to restore, protect, and enhance ecosystems within the Ohio River Basin. The plan includes goals for securing water-related infrastructure improvements, ensuring adequate support of infrastructure projects, assessing high flood risk areas, and identifying priority projects for restoration and resilience.
