Funding Area: Environment
Three Rivers Waterkeeper protects the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and their watersheds. These waterways form the headwaters of the Ohio River Basin, and provide drinking water to 5 million people and is vital habitat for many plants and animals, including endangered species like the salamander mussel.
However, over the modern history of our region, mass industrialization polluted our waterways, and our rivers became devoid of aquatic life. Fortunately, with the implementation of the 1972 Clean Water Act and subsequent clean water laws at the local, state, and federal levels, community organizations have been able to hold polluters accountable. As a result, wildlife has returned to our rivers – including our national bird, the Bald Eagle. On the Allegheny River alone, the US Forest Service has documented over 50 mammals, 200 birds, 25 amphibians, 20 reptiles, 80 fishes, and 25 freshwater mussels. These waterways also serve as a source of recreation and a way to connect people to nature through positive experiences.
However, the waterways still suffer from a combination of legacy and novel pollution sources, and over a third of our region’s rivers and streams are considered impaired by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Three Rivers Waterkeeper’s work focuses on holding polluters accountable and empowering community voices to protect our waterways. They ensure that local, state, and federal governments enforce the clean water laws which protect the public and environmental health. They combine scientific and legal advocacy to protect the water quality of our Three Rivers and their watersheds. Together with their communities and partners, they work towards drinkable, swimmable, fishable waters for all.
Projects We Support
Documenting Waste Flow in Southwestern Pennsylvania Watersheds
The Documenting Waste Flow in Southwestern Pennsylvania Watersheds project will document, map, and analyze industrial waste flows throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania to identify pollution pathways and regulatory loopholes that place our waterways, and the five million people who rely upon them, at risk. Southwestern Pennsylvania is home to a dense concentration of industrial and petrochemical facilities. Recent industrial expansions in the Ohio River Basin Headwaters have increased the volume and complexity of wastewater, stormwater and hazardous residual waste entering local rivers. While some discharges occur directly under NPDES permits (regulated direct water discharges into waterways from the facility), many industries exploit weak points in the regulatory system by redirecting waste to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) and landfills whose permits do not reflect the contaminants they receive. These indirect pathways create under-regulated pollutant loads entering the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, and their tributaries. Our project seeks to document these waste flows from origin to discharge using water sampling, GIS mapping, permit analysis, public record requests, and on-the-ground monitoring in order to stop the loophole. The project boundaries include the confluence of the Three Rivers up through the third lock and dam on each river, with its broader influence extending from the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny to the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border and Pennsylvania/Ohio border on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers.
Support Dates: April, 2026 – Ongoing
Organization and Project Photos
