STRUTHERS, Ohio - Federal, state, and local officials will gather along the Mahoning River Tuesday to celebrate the progress made in revitalizing the waterway that was once little more than a resource for local industry.

The Eastgate Council of Governments organized the day-long celebration that begins at 11 a.m. at the City of Struthers’ new Community River Launch site.

In addition to recognizing the effort to clean up the river and turn it into a recreational destination, officials will talk about the future as the river continues to be reclaimed.

At noon, the kayaks will launch for a two-and-a-half-hour paddle downriver to Lowellville.

A 1:00 pm, there will be a roundtable discussion at the Eastgate office with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie Stevenson and local community leaders.  The discussion will include wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs, brownfield cleanup, and other topics relevant to the Ohio EPA and Director Stevenson’s priorities.

At 3:00 pm, the celebration will close with a reception at Lowellville’s River Front Park.

Over its history, the river was dammed up in numerous places to provide cooling water for the steel industries that settled along the Mahoning River.

From the 1960s to the early 1980s, steel companies began to close in the Valley, leaving behind a legacy of pollution.

The Ohio EPA says the river is making a comeback both in water quality and fish diversity.

Eastgate has been working with thirteen communities along the river to remove the remaining low-head dams and restore the river to its natural, free-flowing state.