Urban Waters

Reclaiming America’s Urban Waters through Capacity-Building and Community Engagement

The Project | The Communities | The Outcomes |
Contact Information

The Project

River Network has partnered with U.S. EPA and Groundwork USA to “jump start” a new urban waters movement in the U.S. that builds highly capable and sustainable community-based organizations. We have selected five communities to receive grants (range: $39,000- $65,000) to support their community work and significant capacity-building support over a two year period. These communities have the vision to address the unique challenges of their urban watersheds and are poised to make a difference locally. Furthermore, we have established an Urban Waters Learning Network to foster networking and provide training to a larger set of organizations working to restore urban waterways across the U.S.

The Communities

• Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (Seattle, WA) advocates for the Superfund cleanup of the Duwamish River in south Seattle. With this grant, they will strengthen their organization and programs to better serve the fishing families and environmental justice communities most impacted by the Duwamish River’s past and ongoing pollution issues.

• Groundwork Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) works with the residents of Buffalo’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods and students from three Buffalo public schools to review vacant lot clean-up plans and help restore significant water resources through demonstration projects that use green infrastructure techniques.

• Plaster Creek Stewards (Grand Rapids, MI) is a collaboration of Calvin College faculty and staff, residents, local churches, and community partners dedicated to restoring Plaster Creek, one of West Michigan’s most polluted watersheds. This grant will support the outreach/education component of a 3-yr. restoration plan to forge connections between the upstream agricultural communities and downstream low-income urban neighborhoods.

• Village Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society (Birmingham, AL) has 20 years’ experience leading community-based educational, restoration and advocacy activities around the heavily impaired Village Creek, which flows through Birmingham’s poorest neighborhoods. This project will engage community members and youth through water quality monitoring, a classroom-based science curriculum, and numerous community meetings and educational opportunities.

• West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (Atlanta, GA) works to protect and restore three West Atlanta watersheds by encouraging residents to incorporate conservation practices and to learn about water issues affecting their communities. This project will engage Proctor Creek watershed residents in community-led efforts to alleviate the area’s long history of flooding due to combined sewer overflows.

• Additional organizations receiving capacity-building services through this project include:

  • Groundwork Denver (Denver, CO)
  • Mill Creek Restoration Project (Cincinnati, OH)
  • River des Peres Watershed Coalition (University City, MO)
  • Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative (Hartford, CT)
  • Prescott Creeks Preservation Association (Prescott, AZ)

Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased watershed restoration skills & awareness in urban communities
• At least 60 staff and volunteers trained in watershed protection and human health risks assessments
• 25% increase in the number of lead volunteers working with vulnerable communities
• 100% of the organizations will diversify their funding sources, increase the number and frequency of community outreach activities and diversify their members and volunteers

For More Information

Diana Toledo
Director of Mobilization & Southeast Programs
(828) 258-2109