WATERKEEPERS Chesapeake is a coalition of seventeen independent Waterkeeper programs working to make the waters of the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays swimmable and fishable. Members of Waterkeepers Chesapeake work locally, using grassroots action and advocacy to protect their communities and their waters. They work regionally to share resources and leverage individual organization strengths to expand the capacity of each Waterkeeper for on the water, community-based enforcement of environmental laws in the Chesapeake region. Find your local Waterkeeper on this map. Learn more about them below.
Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky
Middle Susquehanna RIVERKEEPER® John Zaktansky became the Riverkeeper in 2020. John Zaktansky, an award winning journalist and outdoors advocate, grew up ...
Gunpowder Riverkeeper Theaux Le Gardeur
Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® Theaux Le Gardeur is the Executive Director of Gunpowder Riverkeeper, a grassroots, advocacy based membership organization charged with protecting, ...
Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper Alice Volpitta
Baltimore Harbor WATERKEEPER® Alice Volpitta became the Waterkeeper in 2020 after serving as Blue Water Baltimore’s lead water quality scientist for ...
Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman
Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman was born and raised along the Patuxent River as were seven generations of his ancestors before ...
Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards
Chester RIVERKEEPER® Annie Richards became the Riverkeeper in 2021. The Chester RIVERKEEPER® is part of ShoreRivers that employs four Riverkeepers: Choptank, Miles-Wye, Chester ...
Miles-Wye Riverkeeper Ben Ford
Ben Ford became the Miles-Wye Riverkeeper in 2023. Ben is dedicated to improving the water quality in the Miles and ...
Sassafras Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher
Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® Zack Kelleher became Riverkeeper in 2019 when longtime Chester Riverkeeper Emmett Duke retired. The Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® is part of ShoreRivers that employs four ...
Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta
Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta became the Riverkeeper in 2015. The Choptank RIVERKEEPER® is part of ShoreRivers that employs four Riverkeepers: Choptank, Miles-Wye, ...
James Riverkeeper Tom Dunlap
James Riverkeeper Tom Dunlap became the Riverkeeper in 2022. He a full-time on the water advocate protecting and defending the ...
Assateague Coastkeeper Taylor Swanson
Taylor Swanson became the Assateague Coastkeeper in 2023. Taylor is a Maryland native, growing up in the Annapolis area with ...