{"id":272067,"date":"2026-07-14T12:53:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T16:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/?p=272067"},"modified":"2026-07-14T12:53:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T16:53:43","slug":"joining-together-for-strong-local-clean-water-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/joining-together-for-strong-local-clean-water-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"Unidos por una s\u00f3lida protecci\u00f3n local del agua potable."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Chesapeake Legal Alliance &amp; Waterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake Work Together for Stronger Local Clean Water Protections<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Annapolis, MD) Today, Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) and Waterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake Inc. &#8212; an organization that coordinated activities of sixteen independent Waterkeeper\u00ae member organizations serving the Chesapeake Bay region &#8211;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> announced a new arrangement to meaningfully strengthen the<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">protection of clean water and<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">la<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">advancement of environmental justice across the watershed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going forward, CLA<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will provide direct administrative and policy support to help coordinate the work of the regional Waterkeepers organizations. CLA will do this through a new entity to be known as \u201cWaterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake\u201d or \u201cWKC.\u201d The Waterkeeper organizations themselves will remain independent of CLA. CLA will implement WKC as a separate program alongside CLA\u2019s existing Environmental Action,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legal Education, and Pro Bono &amp; Outreach Centers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In past years, CLA and Waterkeeper<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organizations have worked together on a number of major initiatives. Some of the most impactful included the passage of major water pollution control law improvements in Maryland and Virginia; the historic settlement in the 50-year federal license for Conowingo Dam and commitment to prevent release of pollutants currently built-up behind the Dam; and settlements that provided millions of dollars to support impacted communities in cases involving Baltimore\u2019s wastewater treatment plants (with Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper) and the Ridgely\u2019s Reserve development (with Gunpowder Riverkeeper).<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis new structure<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will continue the vision and mission of the historic Waterkeepers Chesapeake Inc. program and strengthen it. It thus will further strengthen<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CLA\u2019s <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>work with Waterkeepers as we also continue to work with other organizations and individuals,\u201d<\/em> dijo<strong> David Reed, Executive Director of Chesapeake Legal Alliance.<\/strong> &quot;<em>Right now, protecting wetlands, waterways, and the health of local communities has fallen largely to the states and citizen organizations such as the independent regional Waterkeepers organizations in the Chesapeake Bay region. CLA has been pleased to provide considerable pro bono legal support to residents, community and conservation groups, sportsmen, and other conservation organizations, including our regional Waterkeepers. We will continue to successfully meet that challenge for all of our clients.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matt Henjum will be the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/waterkeepers-chesapeake-welcomes-matt-henjum-as-next-director-announces-robin-broders-retirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new Director<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of WKC. He replaces Robin Broder, who retired this summer.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matt brings more than sixteen years of experience working on environmental law, policy, and litigation issues as an attorney with the federal government and as a Senior Staff Attorney with Chesapeake Legal Alliance. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&quot;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will be a privilege to support our Waterkeepers and help make the most of this new <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>arrangement with CLA,<\/em>&quot; <strong>said Matt. <\/strong><em>&quot;El <\/em><\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new program will bolster clean water advocacy and enforcement for the entire region. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will connect the Chesapeake\u2019s 16 established Waterkeeper members\u2019 local, on-the-water action, monitoring data, and community engagement with CLA\u2019s powerful legal and policy advocacy, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strengthening the advocacy capacity for local Waterkeepers to amplify their impact and hold polluters accountable.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&quot; <\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterkeepers Chesapeake Board Chair Ben Scheelk agreed.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis arrangement will make<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CLA and regional Waterkeeper <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>groups more impactful.\u201d<\/em> dijo <strong>Ben Scheelk, Board Chair of <\/strong><\/span><strong>Waterkeepers Chesapeake Inc.<\/strong> <em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe need could not be more pressing as the threats to clean water multiply and continue to increase in scope and severity. As we wind-down Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Inc., I look forward to joining the Board of the Chesapeake Legal Alliance.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Together, Chesapeake Legal Alliance and Waterkeepers Chesapeake will continue working alongside local Waterkeepers, Tribal Nations, community organizations, policy makers, and residents to strengthen clean water protections, advance environmental justice, and ensure healthy waterways for future generations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Official Press Statement: <a href=\"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Press-Statement_Final.docx.pdf\">Chesapeake Legal Alliance &amp; Waterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake Work Together for Stronger Local Clean Water Protections<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hacer clic<a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/aohXM-CZ0LM?si=hpO78bykfUfI-J2U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> aqu\u00ed<\/a> to watch our Waterkeepers and Riverkeepers state <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/aohXM-CZ0LM?si=hpO78bykfUfI-J2U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8216;Why We&#8217;re Joining Forces&#8217;\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contactos de medios:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David Reed, <\/span><a href=\"\/es\/&\/#109;a&#x69;l&#x74;o&#x3a;d&#x61;v&#x69;d&#x40;&#99;&#x68;&#101;&#x73;&#97;&#x70;&#101;&#x61;&#107;&#x65;&#108;&#x65;&#103;a&#x6c;&#46;&#x6f;r&#x67;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">david@chesapeakelegal.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 202-253-5560<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matt Henjum, <\/span><a href=\"mailto:matt&#64;waterkeepers&#99;&#104;&#101;&#115;&#97;&#112;&#101;&#97;&#107;&#101;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">matt@waterkeeperschesapeake.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 510-529-5043<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4188 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/DONATE-BUTTON.jpg\" alt=\"DONATE-BUTTON\" width=\"263\" height=\"130\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 263px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 263\/130;\" \/><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chesapeake Legal Alliance &amp; Waterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake Work Together for Stronger Local Clean Water Protections (Annapolis, MD) Today, Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) and Waterkeepers\u00ae Chesapeake Inc. &#8212; an organization that coordinated activities of sixteen independent Waterkeeper\u00ae member organizations serving the Chesapeake Bay region &#8211;&#8211; announced a new arrangement to meaningfully strengthen the protection of clean water &#8230; <a title=\"Unidos por una s\u00f3lida protecci\u00f3n local del agua potable.\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/joining-together-for-strong-local-clean-water-protections\/\" aria-label=\"Leer m\u00e1s sobre Joining Together for Strong Local Clean Water Protections\">Lee mas<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":272068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[587,27],"tags":[131],"class_list":["post-272067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-support","category-press-statements","tag-waterkeepers-chesapeake","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272067"}],"curies":[{"name":"gracias","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}