WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE WATERKEEPER WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 2017 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL Clean. PRINTED ON 100% POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED PAPER Heal. BY THE NUMBERS. FLIP OPEN. BY 2017 Drink. Fish. Swim. Waterkeeper Alliance has partnered with Givewith and Dell to remove 180 MAIDEN LANE, STE. 603, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10038 plastics from our beaches, waterways and coastal areas. Each click on one 212.747.0622 | WATERKEEPER.ORG of our collaborative online ads generates $0.25 for Waterkeeper Alliance to help fund innovative plastic recovery facilities for Waterkeeper Organiza- tions fighting plastic pollution - like this beach cleanup in Southwestern Protect. Mexico with Costa Grande Waterkeeper. Photo by Alfredo Blasquez. Protecting more than 2.5 SquareMillion Miles of Rivers, Lakes and Coastal Waterways 31NEW WATERKEEPER For every $1 was secured in cleanup ORGANIZATIONS donated to $ costs, penalties, divestment, and prevented Waterkeeper fossil fuel infrastructure & AFFILIATES Alliance investment PEOPLE REACHED REACHED PEOPLE AT OUR EFFORTS BY ROCK STANDING 30 MILLION 943 These numbers valid for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017) Protecting more than 2.5 SquareMillion Miles of Rivers, Lakes and Coastal Waterways For every $1 was secured in cleanup $ costs, penalties, donated to divestment and prevented Waterkeeper fossil fuel infrastructure Alliance 943 investment These numbers valid for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017) MISSION ABOUT US WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE holds polluters accountable. We’re the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting local Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates worldwide. Our goal is drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere. FISCAL YEAR 2017 YEAR FISCAL Every day around the world, polluters are poisoning Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates that are on our waterways, and people everywhere are suffering the the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and consequences. When a coal company discharges millions protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, Waterkeeper Alliance of gallons of toxic coal ash into a river, families who lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents. depend on that waterway as a drinking water source are From Alaska to the Himalayas, the Great Lakes strengthens and grows a global the innocent victims. When a developer demolishes a to Australia, the Waterkeeper movement defends the forest of mangroves, it destroys fisheries and devastates fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and the local economy. When hog farms dump untreated swimmable waters, and combines firsthand knowledge of network of grassroots waste into a waterway, people and marine life get their local waterways with an unwavering commitment to sick. These are just a few examples of the battles that the rights of their communities. leaders protecting everyone’s Waterkeeper Alliance fights every day around the world Whether they’re on the water tracking down polluters, REPORT ANNUAL on behalf of the common good and to protect everyone’s in courtrooms enforcing environmental laws, advocating right to clean water. in town meetings or teaching in classrooms, the right to clean water. The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of Waterkeeper movement speaks for the waters it defends – blue-collar fishermen on New York’s Hudson River in with the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance and 1966 because industrial polluters were destroying their the backing of local communities. way of life. Their tough, grassroots brand of environmental Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world’s activism sparked the Hudson’s miraculous recovery Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates are as and inspired others to launch Waterkeeper groups around connected to each other as they are to their local waters, the world. organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated Today, Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 global movement. WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 3 MISSION ABOUT US WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE holds polluters accountable. We’re the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting local Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates worldwide. Our goal is drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere. FISCAL YEAR 2017 YEAR FISCAL Every day around the world, polluters are poisoning Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates that are on our waterways, and people everywhere are suffering the the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and consequences. When a coal company discharges millions protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, Waterkeeper Alliance of gallons of toxic coal ash into a river, families who lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents. depend on that waterway as a drinking water source are From Alaska to the Himalayas, the Great Lakes strengthens and grows a global the innocent victims. When a developer demolishes a to Australia, the Waterkeeper movement defends the forest of mangroves, it destroys fisheries and devastates fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and the local economy. When hog farms dump untreated swimmable waters, and combines firsthand knowledge of network of grassroots waste into a waterway, people and marine life get their local waterways with an unwavering commitment to sick. These are just a few examples of the battles that the rights of their communities. leaders protecting everyone’s Waterkeeper Alliance fights every day around the world Whether they’re on the water tracking down polluters, REPORT ANNUAL on behalf of the common good and to protect everyone’s in courtrooms enforcing environmental laws, advocating right to clean water. in town meetings or teaching in classrooms, the right to clean water. The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of Waterkeeper movement speaks for the waters it defends – blue-collar fishermen on New York’s Hudson River in with the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance and 1966 because industrial polluters were destroying their the backing of local communities. way of life. Their tough, grassroots brand of environmental Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world’s activism sparked the Hudson’s miraculous recovery Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates are as and inspired others to launch Waterkeeper groups around connected to each other as they are to their local waters, the world. organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated Today, Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 global movement. WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE 3 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Waterkeeper Alliance supporter, model is now outpacing our capacity to serve aspiring a robust science and technology department; expand our an army of highly trained, committed, politically and POLLUTION, 2017 YEAR FISCAL Waterkeeper groups across the planet. rapid response capability during man-made and natural technically skilled Waterkeepers, battle hardened and DIVERSION For the past year we have been planning intensively disasters; enhance our presence in Washington, D.C.; armed to fight for a world where clean water is the life to scale our successful model: we have critically assessed and dramatically increase our legal capacity to enforce, spring of global prosperity, dignity and human aspiration. AND DROUGHT our organization, analyzed our movement’s optimum defend, and strengthen laws. In addition to bolstering We are grateful to you for working with us to make this achievable pace for global growth, and developed a our movement, we have developed a strategic growth plan plan a reality. strategic business plan for positioning ourselves over the next to recruit the brightest and best trained advocates on all have triggered a global water crisis that will be the central 20 years. Executing this plan will allow Waterkeeper Alliance habitable watersheds in the world. To clean water, political, cultural and economic feature of our children’s lives. to meet our founding vision of having community-based We began our planning process by identifying the The World Bank predicts that the looming world water Waterkeepers safeguarding every waterway in the world. We world’s most iconic and endangered waters. We devised cataclysm — already affecting every continent — is the will improve each local Waterkeeper’s capacity to effectively a plan for our network to grow responsibly to cover more principal challenge to organized civilization in this century. pursue the goal of drinkable, fishable, swimmable waters than 7 million square miles of watersheds in the first 5 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The Waterkeeper model — first proven during the worldwide. We will elevate the Waterkeeper profile as years, protecting more than 1 billion people. By year 10, REPORT ANNUAL Hudson River’s near miraculous restoration — has the go-to advocate on every important water issue. We we plan to cover more than 12 million square miles of President now become the preeminent tool for both individuals have christened our plan “Project Osiris,” in reference to watersheds, protecting more than 3.75 billion people. By and grassroots groups fighting the global water crisis. ancient Egypt’s all-important Nile River deity. year 20, more than 20 million square miles of watersheds Waterkeeper Alliance is growing exponentially with Project Osiris begins with large investments in will have a Waterkeeper group, and our movement will more than 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates training and