WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE

Who we are?

Winyah Rivers Foundation and the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program are licensed by WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE, a grassroots advocacy organization with waterkeepers working locally around the globe. Waterkeeper Alliance connects and supports local Waterkeeper programs to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide. We are dedicated to preserving and protecting YOUR WATER from polluters.

The common thread for each Waterkeeper program is a full-time person who serves as the Waterkeeper, the public advocate for that body of water. A Waterkeeper’s job is to advocate compliance with environmental laws, respond to citizen complaints, identify problems which affect the water body and devise appropriate remedies, educate the public and advocate for the public’s right to protect and defend the environment. Each Waterkeeper program reflects the needs of the water body and the community it represents.

Mallards on the Waccamaw

photo: Steve Berkowitz

The Waterkeeper concept started on the Hudson River where a coalition of commercial and recreational fishermen mobilized in 1966 to reclaim the Hudson from its polluters. You can read more about the movement at the Waterkeeper Alliance website.

• Waterkeepers are uncompromising advocates for their body of water.
• They are full time, paid representatives for a selected body of water.
• They are funded by grass roots non-profit organizations.
• Government affiliated organizations cannot sponsor a Waterkeeper program.
• Funding to ⁄ for the non-profit organization is through grants, donations, and membership dues.
• The Waterkeeper programs throughout the US have great credibility. The Waterkeeper Alliance is comprised of over 180 Waterkeeper programs throughout the Americas and beyond.
• All Waterkeeper programs, including the Waccamaw Riverkeeper program, are licensed by the Waterkeeper Alliance which is headquartered in NY.
• Once a program is licensed, the local group hires the Waterkeeper.
• The Alliance helps with training and start up through its Waterkeeper resources.

Waterkeepers Carolina

The waterkeepers in North and South Carolina work together to protect the waters of the Carolinas from pollution and polluters. Waterkeepers Carolina is a confederation of Riverkeepers in North Carolina of which the Waccamaw Riverkeeper is a part. To learn more about Waterkeepers Carolina, visit our website at www.waterkeeperscarolina.org.

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