The Reynoldsburg, Ohio Ecological Services Field Office has recently completed a draft Planning Aid Letter for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that documents important fish and wildlife resources of the upper Ohio River.  This report summarizes the available data on natural resources in the Ohio River and surrounding environs in Pennsylvania, and identifies opportunities to preserve or enhance valuable fish and wildlife habitat.  Various partners contributed to this endeavor, including the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Assessment of data on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages, land-use, historic and current mussel records, and riverine habitats paints a picture of an upper Ohio River ecosystem that has generally improved following implementation of 1972 Clean Water Act regulations.  The river biota, however, face continuing threats such as invasive species, intensive flow regulation, a heavily-industrialized flood plain, and remaining sources of pollution.  The Planning Aid Letter prepared by the Service will help the Corps of Engineers assess potential impacts to important fish and wildlife resources as they consider maintenance and upgrade of the Ohio River navigation system in Pennsylvania.