Riverkeeper

What is a Riverkeeper?

Riverkeepers work to protect the public’s right to clean water by:

Patrolling local waterways
Tracking down sources of pollution
Responding to citizen pollution complaints
Identifying problems that impact water quality
Advocate for environmental laws and regulations to ensure clean water

A Riverkeeper strives to be the voice of the water body that they work to protect, preserve, and restore. Riverkeepers advocate compliance with environmental laws, respond to citizen complaints, identify problems which affect their identified bodies of water and devise appropriate remedies to address these problems. Riverkeepers/waterkeepers can be found around the globe. There are currently 17 waterkeepers on the Chesapeake Bay.

Elle Bassett - South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper

Our South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper is a member of Waterkeepers Chesapeake on the regional level and Waterkeeper Alliance at the national and global level. Most importantly, Riverkeepers advocate compliance with environmental laws, respond to citizen pollution complaints, identify problems which affect their identified bodies of water and devise appropriate remedies to address these problems.

Riverkeeper Areas of Focus

Environmental Legislation

Tracking River Health

Community Advisors

Report a Problem

Riverkeeper News

2026 Arundel Rivers on the Half Shell- Tickets on Sale Now!

Join us on Saturday, March 14th, 2026 to celebrate another year of work healing our rivers at the 2026 Arundel Rivers on the Half Shell! Time & Location Mar 14, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM YMCA Camp Letts, 4003 Camp Letts Rd, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA About the event Join us on March 14, 2026, for an evening dedicated to celebrating another year of protecting, preserving, and restoring our rivers. Tickets are on sale now. This event is very likely to sell out again this year, so

Arundel Rivers Federation

5 days ago

Thank You for Helping to Save the Forest at Glebe Heights

The Forest at Glebe Heights along the South River Dear members, supporters, partners, and friends, Within my first month as your riverkeeper in 2022, I sent out my first call to action to protect over 40 acres of forest on the Mayo Peninsula in the South River watershed that were under threat to be developed. That first comment letter I submitted had over 600 of your signatures on it, asking the county to deny the subdivision application. Since that first letter, I have sub

Arundel Rivers Federation

Jan 9

December Riverkeeper Report

All I want for Christmas is less nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment entering our waterways that result in poor clarity, algal blooms, dead zones, and poor habitat. That's not asking too much right? While I may not receive everything on my Christmas list this year, we did receive a newly signed Chesapeake Bay Agreement. We applaud the Bay states for reaffirming their commitment to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. And while we did not see everything we wanted to see in

Arundel Rivers Federation

Dec 18, 2025