Spokane Riverkeeper

River Connection- Arguably our most visible work to the community is the River Litter Cleanup Program. This program engages the public by inviting them to participate in stewardship which in turn, provides an opportunity for deeper understanding and connection to the River. In 2023 we engaged 1,997 volunteers in this program removing more than 20 tons of trash. Hosting four public cleanup events, we had record participation (270 volunteers) at the 2023 Earth Day Cleanup. Additionally, 57 private and DIY cleanups involved more than 40 organizations and we worked with the City of Spokane on 24 floats collecting 6,750 pounds of trash in hard to reach areas along the River.Similarly, our River Science Program engages and educates through community riverscience while monitoring water quality that helps shape policy to promote a healthy river. From December of 2022-June 2023, 28 citizen scientists went on 119 sampling runs, collecting 458 samples, and uploaded 102 photos to our timelapse. In addition, we trained approximately 50 community scientists during training events. Depending on the location, 16-78% of our samples exceeded the state standards. These data support a state 303d listing on the Spokane River for turbidity. Spokane Riverkeeper also placed 12 passive temperature loggers throughout the watershed to actively monitor and collect data for the public to use. Finally, our Mercury and Crayfish Study with the University of Idaho had 61 volunteers collect 170 crayfish for testing from the Spokane River and Hangman Creek, over three events.

River Protection- In 2023 we continued our work to defend the Spokane River watershed against pollution through Clean Water Defense and River Flow Protection. Notable accomplishments in Clean Water Defense include: EPA implementation of strong and protective Water Quality Standards for PCB pollution in Washington state due to Spokane Riverkeeper and partners' strong pressure and best available science, successful litigation and settlement with Primeland CHS, Inc. for stormwater violations to reduce pollution to Hangman Creek, a panel discussion co-hosted with Gonzaga Law School on Rights of Nature to educate the public on this legal framework, and continued work with the Department of Ecology to ensure implementation of the Hangman Settlement. Our River Flow Protection campaign continues to support regional water planning and supply options to promote healthy, cold river flow in response to drought and population growth. Last year we partnered with Water Wise to advocate for local water conservation and water consumption reduction. We shared water conservation methods and river statistics on social media to connect with our community and educate them on the needs of the river, and we continued to monitor the water right requested by Airway Heights.

River Restoration- Spokane Riverkeeper supports recovery efforts of native fish and salmon populations to the Spokane River and its tributaries. In 2023 we participated on the Lead Entity team to guide scientific studies regarding salmon and trout habitat by attending four meetings to design a limiting factors analysis that will guide funding in the Basin. We also planted approximately 6,000 plants on 40 acres of riparian habitat along Rock Creek.