Waterkeeper Alliance
Description
Waterkeeper Alliance is a worldwide network of Waterkeeper groups that unites communities to protect waterways and defend the right to clean water.
Its mission is to connect, support and advocate with Waterkeeper groups to protect the right to clean water with communities worldwide. Together they patrol and protect more than six million square miles of rivers, lakes, bays, sounds and coastlines across six continents. Member groups work through citizen science, litigation, policy reform, grassroots advocacy and community action to hold polluters accountable.
Its story began in 1966 with fishermen on New York’s Hudson River whose activism against industrial polluters helped inspire the creation of local Waterkeeper groups worldwide, leading to the founding of Waterkeeper Alliance in 1999. It now unites hundreds of Waterkeeper groups. Its teams cover advocacy, membership services for Waterkeeper Affiliates, communications, development and recruiting to grow the movement.
Latest news
From the River to the Community: Minga, Art, and the Spirit of San Pedro
What Does it Mean to be United by a River? At the 2026 Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference in Quito, Ecuador, Waterkeepers drew inspiration from...
25 Sep 2026
Del río a la comunidad: minga, arte y el espíritu del San Pedro
¿Qué significa unirse por un río? En la Conferencia Global de Waterkeeper Alliance de 2026 en Quito, Ecuador, los Waterkeepers encontraron una respuesta...
25 Sep 2026
The 2026 Terry Backer Awards: Honoring the Spirit of Waterkeepers
At the 2026 Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference in Quito, Ecuador, Waterkeepers gathered not only to learn from one another and strengthen the movement,...
24 Sep 2026
From the Middle of the World: Reflections From the 2026 Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference
For one unforgettable week, Waterkeepers from around the world gathered in Quito, Ecuador, for the 2026 Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference. Hosted...
23 Sep 2026
Waterkeeper Alliance Condemns EPA Plan to Leave Most U.S. Waters Unprotected
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers have proposed further narrowing the definition of “waters of the United...
9 Sep 2026
More than 14,000 People Call on Dow to Stop Plastic Discharges
More than 14,000 people have signed a Waterkeeper Alliance petition urging Dow Inc. and its subsidiary, Union Carbide Corporation, to withdraw proposed...
25 Aug 2026
Similar organizations
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, is a membership union working on nature conservation and sustainable development.
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is a nonprofit working to save gorillas and the ecosystems they live in.
The Global Forest Coalition, GFC, is an international coalition of NGOs and Indigenous Peoples' organizations defending forest peoples' rights in forest...