LDD Board Member Shares Project Highlight Video: Eastgate River of Opportunity Project

By Kathy Zook

Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and thirteen communities along the Mahoning River are working together to restore the river that gave it’s life to support the steel manufacturing industry.  The river was dammed up in numerous places to provide cooling water for the big steel industries that settled along the Mahoning River. From the 1960s to the early 1980s the big steel industry began to close its doors to the Valley, leaving behind memories for its hard workers and a legacy of pollution for the river that sustained them. Restoring the river began over a decade ago with removing the first of nine low-head dams with the others to follow.

The Eastgate River of Opportunity project is working with our community partners to restore the river to its’ free-flowing state which will improve water quality, expand recreational amenities, as well as enhance economic development opportunities and downtown revitalization regionally within each of the thirteen communities. Enjoy the video of our progress and vision.

River of Opportunity Project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib37TQymoE4