COOSA RIVERKEEPER INC.

We are a citizen-based nonprofit organization with goals to improve water quality, protect valuable habitat, and promote recreation and public health along the Coosa River in Alabama. We monitor polluters and their pollution permits, patrol the waterways, educate the public, and advocate on behalf of the river.

We supplement our passion for the river with science and an understanding of policy. When there's a lack of data or information about an issue on the river, we go collect samples or conduct research. In an age where major decisions made by lawmakers are based mostly in politics and not in science, we speak up for our river and ensure it is protected from greed and ignorance. We take a watershed approach; we don't just look at what's happening on the lakes, we look at what's happening on all the creeks because it all matters in the scope of a healthy river. Because the Middle and Lower Coosa River Basins in which we work are so expansive at 5,000 square miles, we prioritize our work based on the most urgent issues where we believe our approach to conservation will be most effective. The data that we generate through our research projects, like Water Quality Monitoring, help guide us to the restoration and conservation efforts that will have the greatest impact.

Using a variety of watercraft, including the Oive II, our staff Riverkeeper patrols 5 lakes and dozens of creeks in order to document both pollution and beauty and stay in tune with what's happening on the river. We also depend on our members and the general public to report pollution when they see it.We collect water quality samples and analyze them in the lab we have set up in our office, and occasionally at a professional lab. We test the river for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and E. coli, among others, and post the results to our website for anyone to see. When we discover an issue, we seek to resolve it. That can be anything from working with state and federal agencies to remove a dam that is eroding a citizen's stream-bank and blocking fish migration to filing legal action against a permitted polluter who refuses to comply with their pollution permit. To date, we have filed legal action over thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act.

In 2017:
*Coosa Riverkeeper patrolled the river 40+ times, reaching 672,000 folks through our Swim Guide program
*Launched the revamped Fish Guide program
*Petitioned for sewage spill right-to-know resulting in electronic notification system
*Successfully advocated for stricter bacteria limits
*Earned Standards for Excellence accreditation
*Named "2017 Group of the Year" by Alabama Rivers Alliance
*Added 274 new members in one year

In 2018:
* Patrolled the river 50+ times
* We started our citizen science program monitoring temperature in the river for fish spawn
* Announced the transition of our Staff Riverkeeper
* We monitored water quality for 18 weeks at 26 issuing 69 alerts total.

In 2019:
* Patrolled the river over 55+ times
* We added two new staff members, an AmeriCorps Patrol member and Program Manager.
* We monitored water quality for 18 weeks at 28 issuing 51 alerts total.

In 2020:
* Celebrated our 10th Anniversary
* Conducted 55+ patrols and responded to over 91 citizen complaints
* Monitored water quality at 30 sites for 16 weeks, issuing 120 water quality alerts.
* Surveyed 150+ anglers to better understand their fishing habits and knowledge of the fish consumption advisories

In 2021:
*Hired a Program Director & expanded our AmeriCorps program
*Monitored 44 sites for 15 weeks, issuing 158 water quality alerts
*Invested in a new patrol boat, The Olive II, and a new patrol truck
*Posted 50+ fish consumption advisory signs around the state, including additional 20 on boat ramps on the Coosa

In 2022:
* Monitored 50 sites for 17 weeks, issuing over 200 water quality alerts
* Filed two legal actions to hold polluters accountable the watershed
* Coosa River named the Fifth Most Endangered River in the US
* Piloted new community engagement and education work
* Started a nutrient monitoring program