Izaak Walton League of America
Description
The Izaak Walton League of America is a national conservation organization that promotes protection of natural resources and outdoor recreation.
A group of sportsmen founded the League in Chicago in 1922 to fight water pollution and protect the country’s woods and wildlife. It grew into the country’s first mass-membership conservation organization and led early efforts for clean water legislation, contributing to the Clean Water Act of 1972. It now has more than 40,000 members and 200 community-based chapters across the United States.
The League combines volunteer science, community-based conservation and policy advocacy. Its chapters give people access to outdoor traditions such as hunting, fishing, canoeing and camping while building support for conservation. It works to protect soil, air, woods, waters and wildlife nationwide.
The League runs citizen water-monitoring programs, including Save Our Streams, Salt Watch and Nitrate Watch, in which volunteers test local waterways for pollution and report their results. It also publishes a magazine on its activities and environmental issues.
Latest news
Farm Bill proposal clears Senate Agriculture Committee
On September 16, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a Farm Bill—the Agricultural Act of 2026—by a vote of 12-11. The development marks an encouraging step for the overdue legislation, but…
18 Sep 2026
Roadless Area protections at risk: Learn how you can help
Author: Kate Miller, Conservation Director On August 18, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (2001 Roadless Rule). This proposed action would eliminate widely…
10 Sep 2026
With funding cut, Iowa volunteers step in to carry on water monitoring
With funding for Iowa’s statewide water-quality monitoring system uncertain, volunteers across the state have stepped up to test local waterways for nitrate and other pollutants. One program volunteers turn to…
8 Sep 2026
National Staff Tour of Arlington-Fairfax Chapter Includes an Afternoon of Trap Shooting
Author: Michael Reinemer, Editor Outdoor America 2026, Issue 3 In August, the League’ national headquarters staff toured Virginia’s Arlington-Fairfax Chapter, founded in 1936. It is the Izaak Walton League’s largest chapter…
2 Sep 2026
Author: Michael Reinemer, Editor Outdoor America 2026, Issue 3 All of us who care about clean drinking water, thriving wild landscapes and a healthy planet have our hands full. The…
1 Sep 2026
Jiwoo, Virginia Save Our Streams’ youngest volunteer trainer, used to be afraid of bugs. Now she’s an intern in the Odanata collection at Smithsonian, is developing a macroinvertebrate identification AI model and wants to study entomology in college.
1 Sep 2026
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