Discover the Ohio River: Top 10 Fun Facts You Never Knew About this Mighty Waterway

1. Wide and Wonderful

If you think width doesn't matter, the Ohio River is ready to make a splash with some mind-boggling proportions: Its widest point stretches an impressive full mile at the Smithland Dam near Smithland, Kentucky, while in more modest areas between Pittsburgh and Wheeling, it humbly sports a width of only half a mile.
Source => a-z-animals.com

2. Thirst Quenching River

Row, row, row your boat gently down the... Ohio River? You might just quench the thirst of millions while you're at it: This winding, 981-mile aqueous ribbon serves as the drinking water source for over 5 million people and sustains the lives ofapproximately 10% of the US population, with a staggering 25 million people dwelling within the bounds of the Ohio River Basin.
Source => dispatch.com

Discover the Mississippi River's stunning transformation as it journeys from clear northern waters to a striking, sediment-rich southern hue, impacting water quality and marine life along the way. 🌊🐠💧

=> Fun Facts about The-Mississippi-River

3. Liquid Highway Explosion

They say that laughter is the best medicine, but in the case of the Ohio River, it might just be river traffic that keeps it flowing with vitality: This liquid highway has experienced a mind-boggling surge in commercial traffic, ballooning from a mere 5 million tons of cargo in 1917 to over 230 million tons per year today, securing its place as one of the busiest rivers in North America.
Source => nps.gov

4. Lock and Awe Adventure

Feeling locked in and need an escape for some dam fun? Head on over to the Ohio River for the ultimate "lock and awe" experience: With 20 locks and dams, the Olmsted locks and dam near Cairo, Illinois has an impressive visitors area where you can witness the engineering marvel of replacing the original No. 52 and No. 53 locks and dams in action.
Source => news-gazette.com

5. Ohio's Diva Drama

In a twist as surprising as an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the Ohio River's got some diva-level drama for the Mississippi down in Cairo, Illinois: At their meet-cute confluence, the 981-mile Ohio River actually outshines the Mississippi, proving that sometimes, it's not the size of the fanbase that matters but the power behind the performance.
Source => water.ohiorivertrail.org

6. Rubber Ducky Apocalypse

In Cincinnati's soggy saga, 1937 was the year when rubber duckies considered evacuating: the Ohio River reached a whopping 80 feet, marking the highest level ever recorded in the city's history, but even this monumental flood was a mere ripple compared to other deluges the river has witnessed before and after.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Glacial Love Story

Did glaciers swipe right on the Ohio River's formation? You bet they did: The Ohio River was born from the dramatic love affair between retreating glaciers of the Pleistocene era and the disappearing Teays River system, ultimately creating the gigantic Lake Tight in southern Ohio, which forged new drainage channels and revealed the Ohio River as we know it today – all proven through the juicy gossip of sediment and bedrock analysis as well as those sneaky satellite images!
Source => courier-journal.com

8. Showbiz Shell-filters

Mussel-ing their way through showbiz: The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge is home to 47 species of native freshwater mussels, including the fanshell, pink mucket, and sheepnose. These showstoppers act as the river's environmental custodians, filtering pollutants, providing habitat for other aquatic species, and helping the refuge work with wildlife organizations to conserve and restore mussel populations.
Source => fws.gov

9. Dam-tastic Scenic Tour

Lock, stock, and some pretty neat barrels: The Ohio River Scenic Byway boasts nine impressive locks and dams, including Pike Island Locks and Dam near Yorkville, which replaced its 1965 wooden predecessor, and the groovy Hannibal Locks and Dam in Monroe County, completed in 1975 with an observation platform and visitors' center – all working hard to provide navigation, hydroelectric power, and recreational fun along the way!
Source => ohioriverscenicbyway.org

10. Steamboat Bragging Rights

If the Sprague were a guest at a steamboat dinner party, it would boast about its size all night long: The Sprague, the largest steam sternwheel towboat constructed for inland river service, graced the Ohio River from 1901 until its retirement in 1948, but, surprisingly, it was never the crowned king of sternwheeler steamboats worldwide.
Source => steamboats.org