Ohio Water Means Business. An Ohio Water Partnership podcast

When most of us think about water, we think about two parts: our drinking water and wastewater.  But there's a third leg to this stool often overlooked yet becoming an increasingly vital part to preserving water and protecting our way of life - storm water.    Think about the 7-foot wall of water that crashed on Florida's Gulf Coast recently from Hurricane Helene.  The infrastructure in those cities and towns couldn't handle it (no city could) and the result was tragic loss of life, billions in destruction and families devastated.   That 7-foot storm surge brought a deluge of 42 trillion gallons of water.  Yes, trillions.  Enough water to stand and watch the flow at Niagara Falls for 21 straight months.    On this episode of 'Ohio Water Means Business', we sit down with the Ohio Farm Bureau and Advanced Drainage Systems.  ADS is the largest manufacturer of corrugated pipe in the U.S. and just cut the ribbon on a gleaming new headquarters in Hilliard complete with a $65 million dollar engineering and technology center.   The ADS mission statement says it all - Our reason is water.    With farmers and ag producers, we all know, that's where the work gets done in all corners of the state as our agriculture industry is still our largest statewide.   Farmers have to be nimbler than ever here too;  we may not have tidal hurricanes, but we do have tornadoes, floods, and droughts bringing enormous challenges on a daily basis.  The Farm Bureau also has encouraging environmental news to report from its 2024 Water Report!  

It's summer and there may be nothing better than the smell of a fiery grill, the chatter of good friends and great beers brewed right here in Ohio.    From that home brewer neighbor of yours to the brands that build stacks of 12-packs into beer pyramids at the grocery story, none of it would be possible without clean, fresh water.    On today's episode, you'll learn not just the science of brewing beer, but also the 24/7 care breweries like Gemut Biergarten and Land-Grant Brewing Company dedicate to protecting their most precious natural resource.   Their collective efforts increase water awareness holistically too.    Plus, we ask these professional brewers what you want to know -- how do they come up with the flavor profile of new brews?   Their answers will surprise you!

 Let's be honest, when we turn on the faucet, we just want it to deliver the goods, right?  Clean, healthy water.   Ohio is so fortunate to have an abundance of it.   But the definition of clean, healthy water can be different to different groups from businesses to farmers just to name a few.   If these groups trust each other, though, they'll come to the table to solve complicated water issues.    Ohio is, again, fortunate to have built and keeps building that trust through the work of many groups including the Ohio Water Partnership.   It's on full display in this episode of Ohio Water Means Business with discussions around complicated issues like agriculture run-off, infrastructure replacement, and wetland preservation.  Thankfully, this episode has outstanding guests, Bill Stanley from The Nature Conservancy and Brian Dicken from the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to breakdown the issues, the answers and the trust factor that binds it all.  

It's June which means people are in, on and enjoying Ohio waters statewide.   For this episode of 'Ohio Water Means Business',  we have the very latest numbers for Ohio's boating industry and they're flat-out stunners.  Recreational boating pumps $6 billion, yes with a B, into our yearly economy and provides nearly 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.   The $6B number now eclipses the amount from the RV industry.  Joining us to talk about it are Michelle Burke, President of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, Shawn Kasych of the Kasych Group and the Honorable State Senator Kent Smith.  Sen. Smith's district borders Lake Erie and he's a fierce champion of both protecting and promoting our precious resource.   Shawn is also a principal of the Ohio Water Partnership and rounds out the conversation with waters' dynamic importance to virtually every aspect of the broader economy.      

There's no denying the pain, suffering and loss of life from Covid.   But there were lessons and even blessings too.   On today's episode of Ohio Water Means Business, two leaders in water recreation, conservation and tourism talk about our deep and renewed connection to this precious resource.    People found the outdoors in Covid as a great and needed escape.   Now, an unrestricted summer of 2022 portends strong economic performance for our state which means record crowds, renewed family traditions, and just a whole lot of fun!

The Cleveland Foundation, the George Gund Foundation, the Joyce Foundation and the Ohio Water Partnership proudly bring you episode *1* of Ohio Water Means Business.    To put it simply, water can bring everyone to the table and this inaugural episode proves it.   Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, now President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce talks with longtime environmental advocate and current Senior Vice-President of American Rivers, Heather Taylor-Miesle about the water economy, Intel and their favorite places to enjoy this tremendous natural resource!