Dayton's Rivers by Grace Jackson, 2023 Cohort

My favorite thing about the rivers in Dayton…sorry, but I can’t just pick one. I would say the first thing that comes to mind is that the rivers recharge our aquifer. This is extremely important for our access to freshwater for drinking, cooking, and for life. I have been studying at Chaminade University on O'ahu this semester, and let me tell you, Ohio is blessed to have such great access to freshwater. You see, the development of canals and buildings has destroyed O'ahu’s wetlands, and freshwater springs have been plugged up. Their aquifer recharges a lot less than it used to. There is also the issue of military occupation, causing contamination of the groundwater. 

I just wanted to get you all thinking about what it means to have the rivers we have. Besides the fact they help to provide access to drinking water, my second favorite thing about our rivers is how easy it is to access them. I run the bike path near the Great Miami fairly often. (I used to run it a lot more often when I was on Chaminade Juliennes Women’s cross country team! It was our Thursday loop). I also love meeting friends at Riverscape metropark, especially when there are festivals, like the Hispanic fest or the Celtic fest. Our rivers are so healthy and full of life, with most obtaining “good” or “excellent” ratings according to the EPA. After kayaking down a few of our rivers and streams, I can confirm that I have seen a lot of fish, turtles, and healthy oxygenation. Of course, we can always improve,  but all in all, I would say that we should be proud of our rivers, and continue to protect them.

A picture of my lab rinsing off after working in a local fish pond. There used to be many freshwater springs out in the nearshore, and there are old pictures of this place depicting horses drinking from what looks like the sea (really, the horses just found the springs!) I will create a blog post on my personal website near the end of the semester all about my experiences on the island. Keep tuned in!