We’re 60 years from the original Riverkeeper concept born out of citizen concern for the polluted Hudson River—a main source for NYC drinking water—where bacteria levels were 170 times more than safe limits and, along with Lake Erie, were considered near dead. Several dramatic lawsuits filed by citizen organizations against Con Ed and Penn Central resulted in an emboldened movement to challenge the status quo.
Now there are more than 150 Riverkeepers worldwide under the umbrella Waterkeepers Alliance and Chester River Association and they are tasked with testing the quality of their respective rivers while advocating for new strategies to combat degrading elements like phosphorus and nitrogen.
The Chester River Riverkeeper, Isabel Junkin Hardesty, has been the “voice of the River,” for the past two years, and although water testing might be the most recognized activity performed by the Riverkeeper, Hardesty describes the spectrum of environmental issues the Alliance addresses. The quality of the Chester River impacts all of our lives, economically, environmentally and recreationally. Hardesty and the Chester River Association work hard to make it, and its tributaries healthier.
Find out more about the Chester River Association here.
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