Mahoning Valley

[ForumManager]

The front page of this website has a link to an article with information about the Mahoning Valley Watershed with a map.
http://mahoningvalley.info/content/view/14/203/

[Towntalk]

It is formed near Winona in Columbiana County, Ohio, and extends for a length of approximately 113 miles (182 km) with a watershed area of approximately 1,132 square miles (2,932 km²). It joins the Shenango River near New Castle, Pennsylvania to form the Beaver River. The river traverses five Ohio counties, Columbiana, Stark, Portage, Trumbull, and Mahoning, and as well as Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The watershed area also includes parts of Ashtabula and Geauga Counties in Ohio.

[Mary_Krupa]

I don't believe the Mahoning River runs in Mercer County at all. Let's double-check this.

[sfc_oliver]

Come on now, I'm trying to give a little bit of good news here. We should be happy that the river is cleaner than any of us can remember. 

[our2cents]

A member of the Mahoning Dive Team did a program for kids at the library.  They were very clear that they do not like to enter the river due to the contaminants and the fact that every time they enter the water they get sick.  The newer members are usually the ones sent in...seniority rules as they put it.  They love what they do, but they also don't want to risk themselves if not necessary and were very clear to the kids to stay away from the river.

Oh yea, I'm pretty sure they said they're all volunteers to be on the team.

That's even more of a clear factor to not touch the fish in the water.

[sfc_oliver]

Mahoning River
Rockhill Avenue NE (Alliance) to Pennsylvania State Line
(Mahoning, Portage, Stark, Trumbull Counties)    

Channel Catfish 21" and over,
Smallmouth Bass 15" and over
   Do Not Eat    PCBs
Channel Catfish under 21",
Common Carp,
Smallmouth Bass under 15"    2 Months    PCBs
Largemouth Bass    Month    *Mercury, PCBs
Walleye    Month    PCBs


Well difficult to line up the chart in here But go take a look. It's getting better.

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/fishadvisory/limitmeals.html#table

[AllanY2525]

Well, as long as the toxic materials remain in the silt and sludge at the
bottom of the river, and also in its banks, the water will never be truly
clean.

Violent storms, etc which cause the river to swell can - and DO - stir up
sediments from the bottom - sediments which contain the toxins left by
the mills and mines, etc.

I would not go into the water or eat anything caught in it.

Does the EPA agree with the Fish and Game report?  Does Fish and Game
have any explanation why the catfish in the Mahoning river went from inedible,
to edible, from one year to the next?

I would be interested in seeing recent chemical tests of the river water.

[AllanY2525]

Well, as long as the toxic materials remain in the silt and sludge at the
bottom of the river, and also in its banks, the water will never be truly
clean.

Violent storms, etc which cause the river to swell can - and DO - stir up
sediments from the bottom - sediments which contain the toxins left by
the mills and mines, etc.

I would not go into the water or eat anything caught in it.

Does the EPA (or whatever governing institution provided the info you
cited below) have any explanation why the catfish in the Mahoning river
went from inedible, to edible, in one year?

[sfc_oliver]

Actually Allan, the fish and game report this year says that Catfish up to 21 inches taken from the river can be eaten. Last year they were not edible. It is getting better every year.

[AllanY2525]

The city has considered a possible riverwalk and walking path along the north
side of the river, between the convocation center and the Market Street
bridge (or so??) and possibly joining it with the mouth of Mill Creek where it
empties into the river.

One of the biggest problems would be the river itself - the water is toxic
and I think the last time I checked, there was actually and EPA issued
"contact ban" for the water in the Mahoning River.  Some estimates
said that the lower Girard Dam could have as much as 50% of the
toxic sludge laying at the bottom of the dam on the upstream side.

There is toluene, mercury, lead, petrolium sludge and all kinds of other
really bad stuff in the riverbed as well as the water.  There was talk
about a project to clean up the riverbed by dredging out all of the
toxic sludge and refreshing the riverbed and the shoreline with fresh
rocks, etc but it never materialized.  The article I read mentioned
using the  Army Corps. of Engineers for the work, and the EPA was
involved.

It would be nice if they could clean up the shoreline from the B & O
Station to the South Avenue Bridge, and build a crossing at Mill
Creek Park.  A riverwalk could provide a green space and outdoor
recreation area as well as a jogging/biking path, etc.

I think it would also be imporant in that it would provide walkways
tying several of Youngstown's major points of interest together
to make it easier for folks to get from one to the other.   This is
kind of a theme with the 2010 plan, building pedestrian corridors
between the citys treasures (wick park to the university and
stambaugh, etc)

[iwasthere]

build around them and walk around them

[Rick Rowlands]

A river walk would infringe on the squatting rights of the undesirables who live along the river.

[sfc_oliver]

I've always wondered why no one in the area has developed a "river walk" area. Augusta Georgia used it to build up the commerce in their downtown area.

[iwasthere]

the mahoning river flows through lowellville and struthers downtowns. these sections can be nice middle-class apt/condo settlements for future dwellers.

[rosyshaj10]

The Mahoning Valley is a geographic valley encompassing the area of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania that drains into the Mahoning River. The Mahoning River empties into the Beaver River, which empties into the Ohio River. The Mahoning River flows through Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania, and Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull, and Portage counties in Ohio. The three main tributaries of the Mahoning River are Mosquito Creek, West Branch, and Eagle Creek, all in Ohio. The area around Youngstown, Ohio, is often called the Mahoning Valley.