We recognize that we live and work on the unceded, sacred homelands of the Spokane Tribe, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Kalispel Tribe, and Nez Perce Tribe. Since time immemorial, these tribes have lived and cared for these grounds. We pay our respects to their Elders – past, present, and emerging. We show gratitude to the land, river, and peoples who have been fishing, hunting, harvesting, and gathering here for generations. We give thanks to the legacy of the original people and their descendants and pledge to honor their stewardship and values.
WHO WE ARE
Our Mission as Guardians and Advocates.
Spokane Riverkeeper is a vigilant guardian and advocate for the Spokane River and its watershed. The mission of the Spokane Riverkeeper is to protects, preserves, and restores the Spokane River for future generations. We envision a Spokane River where wild native fish thrive in the basin, pollution is eliminated, and the community is engaged in the River's protection.
The Spokane River is a cherished being to all citizens of the region’s many communities. This value is a matter of equity and justice for communities and the River itself. As a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance movement, Riverkeeper’s first priority is to defend the river against pollution and hold all polluters accountable. We use the Clean Water Act as a primary legal tool for our work. We also use education and collaboration as a primary way of communicating the values of and protecting the Spokane River.
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COMMUNITY: We connect people to the river and listen to all people’s needs and perspectives.
EQUITY: We remove barriers that prevent equitable access to the river and work towards environmental justice for all along the river.
SUSTAINABILITY: We support sustainable policies for the environment and our own organization.
STEWARDSHIP: We responsibly manage and protect the river for current and future generations.
INTEGRITY: We are transparent in our work and maintain credibility as the trusted voice for the river.
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Protect: We enforce and shape water policy and standards, report Clean Water Act violations and litigate when necessary so the Spokane River can be a source of clean and abundant water.
Connect: We engage a broad cross-section of our community through volunteerism, education and science to create deep connections between the community and our river with the hope that more people will love and protect the river like we do.
Restore: We work with volunteers and partners to monitor and improve water quality, water flow, and riparian ecosystems to uphold the inherent value of the Spokane River to the human and non-human communities in the region and support the restoration of native salmon and trout.
Listen: We participate as active listeners to identify needs, desires, and dreams that our diverse communities have for a healthy river system.
Organizational Health: We sustain our organizational health by running efficiently and effectively with diversified funding and community support.
Our Fleet of Boats:
We actively patrol our River with a fleet of rafts and one canoe.
Our founding craft, the Aire Tributary, 13’ Rubber raft named the “Blue Heron”, has been retired for the moment (it will still see some use on the river) - It was donated by ROW Adventures and saw a decade of hard service the river. Also in the photo is an NRS inflatable Kayak that keeps our fleet nimble.
Our Aire Super Puma, 13 foot raft is named the “Redband” after the iconic native trout who are the cornerstone of our river. It was donated to the program by the Redband Rally fund for the Spokane River.
Our 16’ Star rubber raft named “Riff Raft” by our community members, was recently donated to the program by Flow Adventures. It remains the “Beast” of the fleet, hauling thousands of pounds of garbage off of the Spokane River annually.
AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS
WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE
Waterkeeper Alliance (WKA) is an environmental organization founded in 1999, responding to a growing movement of organizations with the name Riverkeeper, Baykeeper, Soundkeeper, and other related "keeper" names. The original Riverkeeper was organized in New York in 1983, as a response to the destructive industrial pollution that was destroying the Hudson River.
Today, WKA unites all Waterkeeper organizations; coordinating and covering issues affecting Waterkeepers that work to protect bodies of water around the world. It's the fastest growing grassroots environmental movement in the world, spanning six continents. Each Waterkeeper organization is devoted to the preservation of specific watersheds. Spokane Riverkeeper is an affiliate member of the WKA.