This month marks 50 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act, legislation that has empowered communities nationwide to advocate for their rivers and streams. The CWA was passed over a presidential veto, and residents of the Delaware River basin played a huge role in that important victory.
50 years is a big anniversary, so we want to share a meaningful celebration here at home in Philadelphia, and a super-useful tool for communities across the nation.
First, the celebration!
Join the Academy of Natural Sciences and the William Penn Foundation for a panel conversation of national experts to celebrate 50 Years of the Clean Water Act — the nationwide call to protect and restore fishable, swimmable waterways from unchecked pollution. This landmark law for clean water has made an incredible impact over half a century. However, water resource management challenges are different today than they were in 1972. A panel of local, regional, and national environmental leaders will reflect on the Clean Water Act’s role in advancing improvements in the Delaware River, and consider the full range of tools and strategies that will be required to meet the urgent water challenges of today. A reception will follow.
Now, the toolkit!
Our partners at River Network have updated their transformational Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual. Over the two decades since its original publication, this tool has galvanized local groups, grassroots advocates and diverse stakeholders to protect their local waters by identifying the many ways that every person can track, influence, and change the way the law is implemented at the federal, state, and local levels. Check it out, and share widely!