Quad Cities Waterkeepers of the Upper Mississippi River

Our Mission

Today, water resources are declining in quality and quantity in virtually every part of the world: More than a billion people are living without access to safe drinking water; California faces the most serious water emergency in its history; Australia is in the midst of an epic, 12-year-long drought—the first industrialized nation to deal with water scarcity on this scale.

Waterkeeper Alliance® provides a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally. The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide. Our belief is that the best way to achieve this vision is through the Waterkeeper method of grassroots advocacy.

Waterkeeper Alliance aspires to protect every major watershed around the world. We also continue to reach out and collaborate with other leading national and international environmental and public health organizations to serve the needs of our global network. The growth of the Waterkeeper movement is a testament to the strength of our model.

From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon to the Ganges, Waterkeeper Alliance® has become a powerful voice for the world’s waters.

One of the founders of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., with Quad Cities WATERKEEPER Art Norris after he spoke at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville on March 26, 2010.
Details | More Photos | View the Speech from our Facebook page

Thanks to Oquawka Boats for building the Quad City Water keeper's new boat!
Click here for photos

Check out the Old Man River - Promo
by Brett Rogers. It is an expedition to support the mission of the Lower Mississippi RiverKeeper (www.lmrk.org )

U.S. Reps. Don Manzullo (R16-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D2-Wis.) and Bobby Schilling (R17-Ill.) met Feb. 3, at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, IL, to discuss a new 11-county initiative to improve the Rock River eco-system, promote eco-tourism and market recreational opportunities along the river corridor. Read the Press Release

Press Release: December 13, 2010:

Quad Cities Waterkeeper Settles Water Enforcement Case against Milan Polluter.
Waterkeeper letters prompt Illinois EPA to take enforcement action against 3 others.

More Agribusiness Pollution Issues
Cargill and the Illinois River: New Environment Illinois Report Documents Agribusiness's Industrial-Scale Water Pollution
See Article | View Photos

September 30, 2010 Waterkeeper Update:

EPA finds Illinois in serious noncompliance with Federal Clean Water Act requirements for factory-farms. READ MORE....

Triumph Used Its Own Immigrant Workforce and Out-of-State Contractors to Build its St. Joseph, Missouri Plant. No Local or Union Workers were employed by the project. READ MORE....

The Triumph hog slaughterhouse story has spread to the West coast in the LA Times:

Hog-slaughterhouse plan stirs controversy over how meat is made
The uproar in an Illinois town reflects an intensifying national debate over how we raise, slaughter and process the livestock we consume.

August 31, 2010 | By Monica Eng

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE

SWINE FACTS: COMPARING SWINE WASTE TO HUMAN WASTE

The swine industry often states that hogs produce 2 1/2 times the waste of a human. But what they fail to reveal is exactly what is being compared as "waste".
READ MORE

More on Triumph Foods in the

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: August 16, 2010: Proposed slaughterhouse stirs controversy in Quad Cities Activists say it will bring environmental damage supporters say the area needs jobs
By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-slaughterhouse-controversy-20100816,0,2385969.story

CALL TO ACTION:
All Illinois citizens concerned about factory-farming are encouraged to take action to help stop the Triumph Foods pork processing plant from being built. Learn more

Visit our Facebook page for the latest updates and news on the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Clean up or Visit:

http://saveourgulf.org/

Save Our Gulf has been established by Waterkeeper Alliance to coordinate the efforts of Gulf Waterkeepers who are fighting to protect the Gulf Coast, its communities and environment, from the devastating BP oil disaster.

Quad Cities WATERKEEPER® would like to invite you to our membership meetings. Membership not required.

It is an excellent opportunity to get to know others in the area who share your passion for protecting our waterways, as well as address a couple of urgent water protection items,

RSVP quadcitieswaterkeeper@gmail.com or contact Art Norris 309-721-1800

Environment Illinois - Restore Clean Water Act Protections

CLICK HERE

Rock River Fish Kill Update

STOP Asian carp from invading
Lake Michigan.

Check out this page at the Environment Illinois Web site

and to see what you can do