Hopeful signs are everywhere around our rivers. Bacteria counts are lower, and water is clearer than it has been for years. An annual aerial survey last fall discovered a bed of grasses that would cover seven football fields in an area protected by one of our living shoreline projects.   The first such underwater grasses in the watershed since 1972!

The living shoreline reduces erosion, which increases water clarity, which allows sunlight to penetrate to the bottom, and grasses reappear. Nature wins. The river wins. The crabs and other critters win. We all win.

This year’s report card reflects that upward trend. Our dedicated corps of citizen-scientist volunteers goes out on the water every week from early May through late October, monitoring 28 sites to gather the data we analyze for these reports.

We’ve given the West and Rhode Rivers an overall “C” for 2016, up from a “D+” in 2014.  

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE.

This reflects more than a decade of work by the only citizen-based environmental organization whose one and only job is to preserve and protect these rivers and neighboring creeks. Remember, we receive no operational funding from any governmental source. We depend upon your donations to give us the funding we need to protect the rivers and the Bay. We can’t do all we do without your financial support. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a fully tax-deductible year-end donation by CLICKING HERE to make a secure gift on line. Your support will help us keep this great momentum moving forward.

Sincerely,

Jeff Holland

Riverkeeper & Executive Director