Join us, Liquid IV’s Impact On The Road Team to meet the Pearl Riverkeeper. We’re headed to Jackson Mississippi to learn about their multifaceted approach to protecting our water.
Entering Jackson, murals of hope and pride greet you in the “City With Soul.” That empowered sense of community was apparent in more than just their artwork. It was clear we were visiting a community that’s gone through difficult times and has consistently risen above it, better than before. We’re here to meet with a powerhouse grassroots movement of volunteers: The Pearl River Keepers.
Who’s protecting our Water?
The Pearl River Keepers are a robust chapter of the Waterkeeper Alliance. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a global nonprofit organization, dedicated to “clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet” (https://waterkeeper.org/who-we-are/). With over 300 chapters of Waterkeepers, each with a “unique voice, reflecting our diverse communities and watersheds,” Waterkeepers intimately know the needs of their community and environment. Because of this knowledge, they’re the best resource to defend, enforce, and promote clean water laws for their waterways. Waterkeeper Alliance is dedicated to uniting and uplifting communities, as we’re stronger together “when we lift up each others’ voices and the voices of the communities we serve.”
The Pearl Riverkeepers take a multifaceted approach to achieving their mission to protect everyone’s right to clean swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water. Their very first river cleanup brought in over one thousand people! Now they orchestrate cleanups “across 15 Mississippi counties, 2 Louisiana parishes, and over 490 miles of beautiful river.”
They do so much more than just cleanups. They also monitor the waterway’s sediment, and pollution from litter, and test the water quality regularly. They facilitate citizen scientist volunteers trained by Mississippi State University to take regular water samples. These samples and data from monitoring the waterways are used to guide the next action steps and drive policy change.
How do we help??
The most influential way to get people motivated to help with conservation efforts is to get people on the waterways. So that is exactly what they’re doing. They’re making it easier than ever for everybody to enjoy the rivers. They’re building boat ramps, kayak launches, and water trail maps to increase access to the Pearl River. This comes back to awareness. When people are able to experience the river and the problems it’s facing, they’re motivated to learn and do more to protect those waters!
Chris, Owner of Capital City Kayaks + Member of the Pearl Riverkeepers + Biology teacher
Jackson Mississippi’s big water problem
The biggest issue facing Jackson, Mississippi’s is aging municipal equipment. Chris, a member of the Pearl Riverkeepers, said “The river is going to do what the river is going to do,” but they’re finding that the river is flooding and overwhelming the old infrastructure more regularly. It used to be just once every 20+ years and now it’s every few years. This creates sanitation issues as well as a lack of access to clean drinking water. Addressing the problem of aging infrastructure is complex and requires an intersectional approach.
So what can we do?! How do we get involved?? If you’re in the area, volunteering is a great place to start. You can help grassroots organizations update the aging municipal equipment, as well as clean and protect the waterways. If you’re not in the area but still want to get involved, consider donating to reputable organizations like the Pearl River Keepers.
TLDR
- Who: Pearl River Keepers
- What: A nonprofit dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to clean swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water.
- The Problem: Polluted waterways and aging infrastructure
- Their Efforts: Engage the community with cleanups, monitor the waterway’s sediment, and pollution from litter, water quality testing, and build better reaction access points on the water.
- How you can get involved: Volunteer for cleanups and donate to reputable grassroots organizations.
References:
- https://www.pearlriverkeeper.com/
- https://naacp.org/campaigns/jackson-water-crisis
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2212978
- https://www.americanrivers.org/2022/09/climate-and-environmental-injustice-thousands-without-water-in-jackson-mississippi/
- https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis/
- https://www.npr.org/2022/09/07/1121178780/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis-climate-change
