Amidst the constant drone of (mostly bad) news and the (near constant) struggles of running a successful non-profit organization, Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates from around the western United States gathered in March amongst the temperate rainforests of northwestern Oregon to share successes and strengthen our network. Marking our fifth Pacific Region Retreat since 2013, more than 30 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates joined for three days to coordinate strategies to advance our mission for clean water and share tools on coping with the challenges we face under the Trump administration.
“There were so many great ideas I would like to put into work in my community. It is so valuable to learn from other people’s experiences so that I can roll out programs most efficiently and effectively in my own community in the future.” – Rhiannon Tereari’i Chandler-‘Iao, O’ahu Waterkeeper
Folks attended from Montana, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Oregon, California, Hawai’i, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. To give you a sense of the passion, commitment, and expertise represented at the retreat, here is a sampling of the victories achieved in the last year by those in attendance:
- Upper Missouri Waterkeeper (MT) prompted extensive study of toxic algae pollution by challenging a hydropower facility;
- Willamette Riverkeeper (OR) celebrated steps toward clean-up of the Portland Harbor Superfund site while also snorkeling 120 miles of the river to study water-cleansing mussels;
- Poudre Waterkeeper (CO) and Colorado Riverkeeper are challenging massive water diversions in Utah and Colorado;
- Ventura Coastkeeper (CA) and their parent Wishtoyo Foundation made great waves for steelhead migration and the Chumash Nation;
- Spokane Riverkeeper (WA) won a pollution diet for one of Washington State’s most polluted waterways;
- Humboldt Baykeeper (CA) settled four Clean Water Act cases to reduce pollution flowing into one of the largest enclosed bays on the west coast;
- Alamosa Riverkeeper (CO) is putting water back in the stream for fish and people;
- O’ahu Waterkeeper (HI) embarked on an oyster restoration project in Pearl Harbor that will simultaneously restore ecological and cultural resources;
- San Francisco Baykeeper (CA) secured an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to decommission military vessels that are leaking pollutants while creating best management practices for military vessels in other water bodies;
- Rogue Riverkeeper (OR) secured state legislation that protects salmon and steelhead from suction dredge mining;
- Snake River Waterkeeper (ID) advocated for a pollution diet to lower temperatures that are lethal to fish;
- Columbia Riverkeeper (OR, WA), in addition to helping stop the largest oil-by-rail terminal proposed in the U.S., hired Ubaldo Hernandez as their first Latinx community organizer.
In addition to Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates, we welcomed guests Eric de Place from Sightline Institute to facilitate a conversation about strategic communications in an era of fake news, and Christine Ellis from Lighthawk to discuss how their donated flights with skilled volunteer pilots help advance conservation goals for Waterkeeper groups.
I was joined by Waterkeeper Alliance’s Training Director, Katherine Luscher and our Western U.S. Advocacy Coordinator, Kate Hudson. We facilitated structured group discussions and one-on-one opportunities to discuss agriculture pollution, fossil fuel infrastructure, dams and diversions, and other priority campaigns for water warriors in the western United States. We explored our new Training Department and hatched some fishy ideas for regional collaboration, but we can’t share them yet!
One of the benefits of these retreats is that they foster relationships between veteran organizations and fledgling Waterkeepers, in addition to sharing tools and support. Eleanor Hines, North Sound Baykeeper, noted, “It gave me a great sense of place in the Waterkeeper Alliance movement and provided a lot of access to tools and people to build a greater support system to further the work we do on the local scale.”
The networking, both formal and informal, at our regional retreats helps build and strengthen our movement, which today stretches across six continents and more than 40 countries. With such a large and diverse movement, our regional gatherings help localize support amongst more than 340 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates.
If that constant drone of mostly bad news gets you down, just look to a Waterkeeper near you for some uplifting news about how people are making a positive impact by committing themselves to clean water and healthy communities — and then consider supporting them in their efforts.