About
Riverkeeper is a member-supported watchdog organization that fights for clean water in the Hudson River and New York City's drinking water supply. Founded in 1966 as the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, the Ossining, New York-based nonprofit combines science, law, and community advocacy to protect and restore the Hudson from source to sea and to safeguard the drinking water supplies that millions of New Yorkers depend on. Riverkeeper Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 13-3204621).
Mission
Riverkeeper's mission is to protect and restore the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguard drinking water supplies, through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science and law. Its vision is a Hudson River restored to ecological health — free-flowing, resilient, and teeming with life — that is safe and accessible for swimming, fishing, boating and other recreation, with reliable sources of safe, clean drinking water.
What they do
- Boat patrol — Riverkeeper's patrol vessel travels the river from the Upper Hudson to New York Harbor, covering more than 2,400 miles annually, detecting pollution, deterring violators, and supporting research. Patrols have led to increased enforcement, improved compliance with environmental laws, and millions of dollars in fees, fines, and environmental benefit funding.
- Water quality monitoring — with citizen volunteers and academic partners, Riverkeeper has collected water quality data since 2008, published through its public Water Quality Portal at data.riverkeeper.org.
- Legal advocacy — enforcing the Clean Water Act with partners such as the Pace Environmental Law Clinic. Victories include stopping a proposed pump storage facility and winning a settlement from ExxonMobil over a 17-million-gallon oil leak.
- Habitat and dam restoration — research and projects addressing fish passage, species protection, and habitat restoration.
- Environmental justice — programs addressing disproportionate pollution exposure in disadvantaged communities, including PCB contamination affecting subsistence fishing, and the Water Justice Fellows program training historically marginalized youth for environmental science careers.
History
Riverkeeper began in 1966 as the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, when commercial and recreational fishermen organized to fight rampant pollution of the Hudson — including 1.5 billion gallons of raw sewage dumped daily by New York City, paint discharged from the Tarrytown GM plant, fish kills at the Indian Point power plant, and oil leaking from Penn Central Railroad operations.
Scale and impact
- More than 2,400 miles of river patrolled annually.
- 404 tons of debris removed by volunteers since 2012.
- $5.5 billion in clean water funding secured through advocacy since 2017.
- 28,148 advocacy letters sent to lawmakers in one year.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, drawing on IRS Form 990 filings, Riverkeeper reported total revenue of $4,370,702 and total expenses of $4,299,455 for the fiscal year ending June 2023, with total assets of $3,924,883. For the fiscal year ending June 2022 it reported $4,414,432 in revenue and $4,451,759 in expenses.