The primary goals of Coastal Carolina Riverwatch are:
1. Elevate diverse voices from coastal communities, prioritizing support to historically marginalized and underrepresented groups to address targeted water quality concerns and environmental injustices.
2. Increase coastal ecology and water quality knowledge by expanding inclusive educational opportunities for underserved and underrepresented coastal communities, ensuring equitable access to environmental education and resources.
3. Advocate for sustainable farmers and fisheries that contribute to water quality improvements. Simultaneously, monitor potential pollution sources and report findings—prioritizing the health and safety of vulnerable communities— to the appropriate agencies to hold polluters accountable.
4. Conduct research, monitoring, and assessments of pollution sources impacting water quality in the White Oak River Basin, with a focus on communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation.
5. Collaborate equitably with coastal communities to advocate for local, state, and federal policies that protect water quality and address environmental injustices, ensuring all community voices are represented in policy discussions and solutions.
6. Facilitate the inclusive, collaborative development of long-term solutions to prevent water quality pollutants, prioritizing the needs and concerns of vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by pollution, including:
• Factory Farming and Industrial Agriculture Pollution
• Stormwater Pollution
• Industrial Pollution
• Plastics Pollution
• Wastewater Pollution
Approach:
We achieve these goals through justice-driven advocacy, inclusive outreach, and equitable education. This includes regular investigative and emergency watershed monitoring, supporting policies that promote environmental justice, amplifying the concerns of frontline communities, and fostering citizen stewardship that reflects the diverse identities of coastal North Carolina.