You probably know them as “pushers” or “towboats.” But whatever you do—under penalty of ridicule—don’t call them tugboats. They don’t actually pull or “tug” their multi-ton loads of coal or road salt or whatever humble building block of modern life is sitting atop the barge deck on any given day. Instead, these shallow-draft boats slowly, but skillfully push their freight through America’s inland waterways on chains of barges that can stretch hundreds of feet. For deckhand Ryan Gilleran, life on the towboat means long days on the Ohio River. But playing a key—if unsung—role in keeping your roads clear and lights on is work that’s easy to find pride in.

In this episode, we tap into the role of hydropower in our region. Plus, river transportation on the Ohio is big business but it depends on aging infrastructure.

Industrial pollution like mercury and PCBs and chemical spills have plagued the Ohio River for years -- and worried residents and environmentalists.  But there might just be a silver lining -- more dollars spent on drinking water safety.

As towns large and small along the Ohio River try to attract more industry and create jobs, many are asking, “Is there room for river recreation?” You know, the fun stuff, like kayaking, fishing and swimming. 

In this episode, we visit one small West Virginia town still plagued by contamination from DuPont’s nonstick chemical used in Teflon. And, what’s the next generation of chemicals that’s keeping your eggs from sticking to the pan and are they really safer?

In this episode, we look at how water trading could help farmers and the Ohio and how toxic algae is brewing on the river.

River recreation, flooding, pollution, drinking water -- these are all pieces of puzzle that make up the Ohio River watershed. How do we begin fitting them together into a plan for the future? In our first story in our Headwaters podcast, Julie Grant wades into this question. And then, we turn to Collin O'Mara,president of the National Wildlife Federation for more perspective on this idea of valuing water and regional planning to harness water resources.