Past River Heroes

This annual award celebrates rivers and those who protect them by recognizing some of our victories and honoring those who provide us with leadership and inspiration along the way. In addition to the River Heroes, River Network selects one individual each year to receive the James R. Compton River Achievement Award, celebrating a life-long commitment to river conservation.

2004 Winners

Paul Erhart, Assessment & Monitoring Coordinator, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (AK/YT)

Paul lives at the confluence of the Tanana and Yukon Rivers. Paul provides training and technical assistance to Tribes and First Nations from the headwaters in the Yukon Territory, throughout the middle reaches of the river and the Yukon Delta region. Paul provides trainings regarding the creation of Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) to enabel Tribes and First Nations to create their own water quality sampling programs and meet US EPA standards. Read More!

John Klunk, Founder, Codorus Monitoring Network (PA)

John's efforts have made the Codorus Creek the cleanest it has been in 80 years. In the early 1990s, John took on a locally-based paper-making corporation, which had been the source of pollution in the Codorus for over 100 years. After forming the Network to collect water quality data and monitor violoations to the creek, John led a successful lawsuit against the corporation. The result: a $2 million settlement to improve and preserve Codorus Creek.

Bill McLarney, Project Coordinator, Little Tennessee Watershed Association (NC)

The Little Tennessee Biomonitoring Program began in 1990 under the direction of Bill McLarney. This largely volunteer-staffed program has accumulated what is believed to be the largest body of stream biomonitoring data and results for any similar sized watershed in the world. He continues to educate entire communities about the aquatic species sharing our rivers and streams, leading to significant community action for conservation.

Captain Bill Sheehan, Riverkeeper, Hackensack Riverkeeper (NJ)

Since the early 1990s, Captain Bill has spent countless hours educating the public, local and state officials about the need to protect the Meadowlands, a key natural resource in New Jersey. For decades, the Meadowlands were under attack by those who wanted to fill in and develop most, if not all, of this unique urban wetlands wilderness. Thanks to the efforts of Captain Bill, the remaining 8,400 acres are now protected. Read More!

Shirley Caldwell-Patterson

Shirley Caldwell-Patterson was born in Nashville and raised with a deeply rooted respect for the rich history and natural resources of the area. She is a great lover of rivers, a great advocate for rivers and a great friend to many river groups, including several in Tennessee, where she lives, and in Wyoming, where she has spent many summers hiking and fly-fishing. Shirley is currently working to enhance the water quality of the Cumberland River and its tributaries through the Cumberland River Compact, which she help found in 1997. She has also made numerous additional contributions to many other conservation efforts, including: establishing the Lucius Burch Conservation Funds, the Gaia Fund andÊthe Tennessee Environmental Council; one of the first women board members for the Tennessee Conservation League; and co-author of a book featuring many of the personal papers and transcripts belonging to her good friends, Tennessee trial attorney, Lucius Burch.ÊRead More!