Protecting the 2,000-square-mile New York City Watershed requires partnership. New York City and upstate communities, residents, local businesses and environmental groups must cooperate to preserve the quality of drinking water supplies and the quality of life in watershed communities.

Economic growth and environmental protection go hand in hand. Society cannot exist without clean water. Riverkeeper works as an advocate for stronger watershed protection policies on a local, state and federal level.

Sprawl is destroying our communities and threatening our water supplies. Sprawl’s greatest threats to water quality are destruction of open space lands, increased in impervious surfaces, and increased stormwater runoff that carries a host of pollutants into our waterways.

Badly designed projects promote sprawl, and uncontrolled construction can lead to significant erosion, flooding, and sediment polluting our water supplies. Riverkeeper actively participates in project review and encourages the use of Better Site Design and Low-Impact Development practices.

A strong community cares about water quality and local government decisions that affect water quality. Riverkeeper works with a coalition of over 60 civic and environmental groups and encourages all citizens to become involved in shaping and protecting their shared environment.

The youth of today become the decision-makers of tomorrow. Riverkeeper works to ensure that the decision-makers of tomorrow believe in clean water and strong communities. We believe that education is a valuable tool to achieve this goal.