What is a Waterkeeper?

A Waterkeeper is a nonprofit, grassroots organization that serves as a public advocate for the protection and preservation of a local water body. Waterkeepers patrol and restore their waterways and hold polluters accountable by: improving and enforcing environmental laws through advocacy and litigation, conducting water quality monitoring, and educating the public.

The Waterkeeper model started in 1966 on New York's Hudson River, where a coalition of commercial and recreational fishermen mobilized to reclaim the Hudson from its polluters, forming the Hudson Riverkeeper. Largely as a result of their work, the river that was once dead for large stretches is now one of the richest water bodies in the North Atlantic. The miraculous recovery of the Hudson River inspired the Waterkeeper movement, which now has over 150 Waterkeepers worldwide working for the protection of their local waters. The Waterkeeper movement is among the fastest growing grassroots environmental movements and quickly is becoming a unique force for ecosystem protection on a global level.

The Waterkeeper Alliance is an national advocacy organization that supports and connects the work of the Waterkeeper members worldwide. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the president of the Waterkeeper Alliance and also serves as Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, as well as Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. To learn more about the Waterkeeper Alliance or to find a Waterkeeper in your area, visit: www.waterkeeper.org.

 


  CCKA is a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

 

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