The Water Keeper movement is among the fastest growing grass-roots environmental movements and quickly is becoming a unique force for environmental change. The Keeper philosophy is based on the notion that the protection and enjoyment of a community's natural resources requires the daily vigilance of its citizens. A Keeper's clients are all the users of the represented watershed. Keeper programs employ a variety of strategies to enforce environmental laws including conducting water quality monitoring, participating in coastal planning, attending board meetings, educating the public and devising solutions to water quality problems, and if necessary pursuing litigation as a final step to enforcement. What we do At minimum, it is the Keeper's job to advocate compliance with environmental laws, respond to citizen complaints, identify problems which affect his or her body of water and devise appropriate remedies, serve as a living witness to the condition of the ecosystem, and be an advocate for the public's right to protect and defend the environment.
Keepers are part investigator, scientist, lawyer, lobbyist and PR agent.
The objective is to have a diverse bag of tools that allows the Keeper to get the job done. All Keepers have some kind of boat ranging in size from canoes to research vessels. But sometimes a pair of hip boots is more important than a boat - sometime a legal brief is more important than either. Again, the rule of thumb is that each water body has its own unique set of challenges requiring is own unique strategy. How we've grown Since 1983, the Keeper movement has spread quickly.