McGarvey Announces Community Endorsements for Bill to Fund Ohio River Restoration
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 20, 2025) – Environmental and conversation groups endorse the Ohio River Restoration Program Act, led by Congressman Morgan McGarvey and a bipartisan group of Representatives throughout the Ohio River Basin, to fund the restoration of the Ohio River.
Ohio River Basin Alliance
Chairperson Dr. Chris Lorentz: "We are thrilled with the introduction of this legislation. Over 30 million people depend on the waters of the Ohio River Basin for their drinking water, health, jobs, and quality of life. This region deserves focused federal investments to restore and protect its waters, and to support the public health, economic, and ecological benefits that this bill provides.
“As much as this legislation is an ecological restoration initiative, it will spur economic development, safeguard public health, and enhance the quality of life of the millions living in the Basin.
“We are grateful to Representatives Erin Houchin and Morgan McGarvey for their bipartisan leadership as co-chairs of the Ohio River Basin Caucus and their efforts to protect these critical habitats and waterways.”
National Wildlife Federation
President and CEO Collin O’Mara: "More than 25 million Americans and thousands of wildlife species depend upon the Ohio River Basin. This legislation represents a critical national commitment to conserve the Ohio and ensure current and future generations will benefit from cleaner water, healthier habitat, and stronger communities.”
Healthy Waters Coalition
Director Jordan Lubetkin: "This bill can be a game-changer for the 30 million people who depend on the waters of the Ohio River region for their drinking water, health, jobs, and quality of life. Serious threats to local waters, such as toxic pollution, sewage contamination, and flooding, need to be addressed now, before the problems get worse and more expensive to solve. This bill, when passed, will benefit people and wildlife alike."
Ohio River Way
Executive Director Forest Clevenger: “Experiencing the Ohio River’s majesty and scale—whether as a boater, paddler, angler, or cyclist—is awe-inspiring. These investments will safeguard our drinking water and natural beauty for generations to come, while growing recreation-based economies that can sustain rural river communities today.”
American Rivers Action Fund
Executive Director Heather Taylor-Miesle: “American Rivers Action Fund is proud to support the Ohio River Restoration Program Act, which will safeguard the drinking water source for more than 25 million Americans across 15 states. The Ohio River Basin is the backbone of regional commerce, industry, and agriculture, and maintaining its health is critical to strengthening local economies and securing future growth. For years, we have partnered with communities to improve water quality, reduce flooding risks, and modernize infrastructure—investments that pay dividends through job creation.
“This legislation reflects a smart, basin-wide strategy to protect an essential resource while ensuring taxpayers get the best return on investment. We thank Representatives Houchin and McGarvey for advancing a plan that prioritizes water security, and prosperity for the region.”
The legislation is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation, Ohio River Basin Alliance, American Rivers Action Fund, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, American Sportfishing Association, Audubon, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center (ACLC), Indiana Wildlife Federation , Friends of the Riverfront, Kentucky Riverkeeper, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Ohio River Way, Thomas More University Biology Field Station, Wilderness Louisville, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Pristine River Initiatives, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District , Greenbrier River Watershed Association, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, PennFuture, Friends of Bell Smith Springs, River Fields, EnviroKinecs, Inc., Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Hoosier Environmental Council, Allegheny CleanWays, Kentucky Resources Council, Ohio River Foundation, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Appalachian Voices, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, UpstreamPgh, Ohio Environmental Council, Lower Wabash Partnership, Friends of the White River, Lewis and Clark Trust, Inc., Muncie Indiana Sanitary District’s Bureau of Water Quality, Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau in Indiana, Ohio Conservation Federation, Ohio Water Partnership, Beaver Creek Hydrology (BCH), Kentucky Ecological Restoration Association (KERA),
Read the Ohio River Restoration Program Act here.
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