California Coastkeeper Alliance

Description

Formed in 1999, the California Coastkeeper Alliance is a coalition of local keepers dedicated to protecting and restoring the quality of California's aquatic ecosystems. It includes Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Ventura Coastkeeper, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Orange County Coastkeeper, San Diego Baykeeper, and Baja Coastkeeper. Keepers are environmental "neighborhood watch" organizations or citizens' patrols that protect communities and the waterways they depend on. The Keeper concept dates back to the 19th century English tradition where Riverkeepers were wardens of private streams. There are now over eighty Keepers; each an autonomous, non-profit organization working independently on local water pollution issues. All Keepers are members of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and committed to enforcement of the federal Clean Water Act.