Wednesday, August 16, 2006

If we take the plunge, water quality won't

NATE HOLSCHER | COMMUNITY PRESS GUEST COLUMNIST

The rivers of the United States are held by our government in public trust. Simply put, they belong to all Americans. They are ours to enjoy, protect and exploit.

When used with care, they provide us with renewable sources of food, recreation and transportation. They are part of our cultural heritage, providing artists with the inspiration for novels (of Hemingway and Twain, among others) and songs (Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, etc ... ), while participating in our oral histories. They serve as state and national boundaries and unite our communities. Throughout our history, Americans' communal ownership of waterways has benefited the country in countless ways.

Through a history of abandonment and neglect, the public once deeded our rivers over to those who would make use of them: namely, corporations and sewer districts. Of course, these entities often play important roles in our communities -- they serve our needs and treat our waste, respectively. They also operate within a system in which the final measurement of success is economic efficiency. Water quality is not their main concern. Why should it be? If most Americans want nothing to do with so-called "degraded" waterways, why should a corporation or sewer district make any real effort to improve water quality? Why should elected officials require them to? Until we take back communal ownership of our rivers through consistent and responsible use, water quality will not improve.

On Saturday, Aug. 5, record-breaking open water swimmer and best-selling author Lynne Cox came to Cincinnati to help us take an important step toward the proper stewardship of the Ohio River -- our community's premier resource. She led a group of five locals on a swim across the river from Sawyer Point to Newport. Mayor Mark Mallory and more than 150 area citizens were there to cheer them on.

More than a symbolic effort, the swim represented a real step towards cleaner water in the Ohio River. As we realize that the Ohio is often swimmable and should be swimmable all the time, people are beginning to use the river in increasing numbers. Corporations, sewer districts and elected officials will now have to treat it as a real river- deserving of adequate protection and good water quality.

After all, the Ohio River belongs to all of us. It's time to let decision-makers know that we want our possession treated properly.

Copyright 2006, CommunityPress.com