Climate report predicts dramatic changes for Ohio River basin
the upper Ohio River ecosystem is the last great place to find freshwater mussels, some of which are already listed as endangered. Floods or high water can scour out those mussels, Mr. Stark said. Water temperatures are more important for fish, and as streams warm, coldwater species, like brook trout and walleye, will move to to cooler habitats, migrating upstream and up-elevation. The problem is that all the low-head dams on the rivers present barriers to migrating fish populations.
The big thing this study tells us is, there will be slow ramp up of change for the next two decades and then we will see increased climate changes, Mr. Stark said. So we really have only two or three decades to rebuild some of the regions natural assimilation back into the ecosystem and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2017/05/15/Climate-change-effects-Ohio-River-basin/stories/201705150013