As a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, SYRCL is the first Waterkeeper established in the Sierra Nevada and serves as the official Yuba River Waterkeeper. SYRCL established the Yuba River Waterkeeper as a new program dedicated to fostering regional and statewide coalitions to address complex issues related to water quality and watershed health including the restoration of wild salmon. Yuba River Waterkeeper’s aim is to combine SYRCL’s 35-year record of strong local, grassroots advocacy with the power of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international coalition of river advocates.

The Waterkeeper Alliance Board of Directors approved SYRCL as a new member of the Waterkeeper Alliance on January 8, 2016. Melinda Booth, SYRCL’s Executive Director, serves as the Waterkeeper and is working to protect and restore the Yuba River by combining her firsthand knowledge of the watershed with an unwavering commitment to the rights of the community and to the rule of law.

“Waterkeeper Alliance is thrilled to have the Yuba River Waterkeeper be the eyes, ears, and voice for this vital watershed,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance President.

“We are pleased to welcome SYRCL as the latest member of the Waterkeeper Alliance and the first,” said Pete Nichols, Waterkeeper Alliance’s National Director.

“The Yuba River Waterkeeper will have a big job. Waterkeepers defend their communities against anyone who threatens their right to clean water– from law-breaking polluters to irresponsible governments,” stated Marc Yaggi, Executive Director, Waterkeeper Alliance. “We need to stand up with grassroots advocates like Yuba River Waterkeepers and fight for our right to clean water.”

About Waterkeeper Alliance: Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement uniting more than 300 Waterkeeper Organizations on six continents and focusing citizen advocacy on the issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. Waterkeepers patrol more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, streams and coastlines. Waterkeeper Alliance was founded in 1999 by veteran Waterkeepers and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Learn more at: www.waterkeeper.org or follow @Waterkeeper on Twitter and Facebook.­­