Coastal Carolina Riverwatch (CCRW) is a women-led grassroots organization driven by the voices of the coast to protect the quality of water and quality of life in coastal North Carolina. The White Oak River Basin – a 1,264 square-mile watershed – is suffering. A recent three-year study of fecal coliform bacteria (which causes hepatitis and other diseases) found that 89% of basin samples exceeded federal health standards–sometimes by thousands of times. Combined with contaminants from military bases, agriculture, and dangerous “forever chemicals,” the basin faces an urgent challenge. CCRW pushes for sustainable farmers and fisheries that support water quality improvements while monitoring potential pollution sources and reporting results of studies that implicate polluters to the proper agencies. Through research, community training, and oversight, CCRW collaborates with coastal communities to advocate for local, state, and federal policies that safeguard North Carolina’s waters.
Founded in 2019, CCRW is run by a two-person staff with decades of experience in government, solid waste infrastructure, and coastal resource management. Focused on the White Oak basin, which includes Onslow, Carteret, and portions of Pender and Jones counties (population: 350,000), CCRW collaborates with stakeholders from scientists to boat captains to increase coastal ecology and water quality knowledge. CCRW engages fisheries to pursue long-term protection measures through the Water Quality for Fisheries program, and their Pure Farms, Pure Waters monitors the New River for impacts from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Meanwhile, the Equity in the Environment Mentorship Program aims to diversify environmental leadership by empowering underrepresented youth. CCRW also lobbies for crucial environmental legislation, engaging local, state and federal legislators, all while reaching 20,000 viewers a month through social media, and 2,500 subscribers through their weekly newsletter.
For more information:
Community Conservation and Resilience on the North Carolina Coast – Duke Engage, August 2022
Efforts on to Keep Litter out of Stump Sound – Coastal Review, February 2021
Fish Kill Continues on Neuse River – Star News Online, October 2013
Contact
Lisa Rider, Executive Director and Riley Lewis, White Oak Waterkeeper
Website
Social Media
Climate Impacts
Drought, Erosion-Subsidence, Flooding, Hurricanes/Tropical Storms
Environmental Justice Concerns
Fighting Development/Destruction of Wildlife/Extinction of Species, Hypoxia (Oceanic Dead Zones), Industrial Agriculture/Animal Waste, PFAS/PFOS, Sewage/Sewage Treatment
Strategies
Community Organizing and Education, Green Infrastructure, Legal/permit challenges to development, contamination, pollution, etc, Nature-Based Solutions, Policy Reform, Political activism, including protests, petitions, and lobbying, Risk mapping and/or monitoring e.g. flooding/contaminants etc
501c3 Tax Deductible
Yes
Accepting Donations
Yes