In 2020 DERT became an affiliate of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. These partnerships are immensely valuable as we expand our programming and influence in the South Sound region. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance has provided training and funding to assist with the development of the South Sound Healthy Watershed Program.
Since 1984, Puget Soundkeeper has…
- Completed over 1600 patrols of Puget Sound waterways
- Facilitated development of more than a dozen new or improved water treatment facilities in the Puget Sound region
- Taken legal action against more than 170 Clean Water Act violators, never losing a case
- Certified 71 Clean Marinas through the Clean Marina Washington program
- Created the Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund and awarded over $7.4 million in settlement funds to Puget Sound restoration projects
- Engaged over 18,000 volunteers in cleanups, outreach events and advocacy
- Removed more than 145,000 pounds of marine debris from Puget Sound waterways
- Set national precedent for industrial stormwater treatment, green infrastructure and low-impact development regulations
To learn more about Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Click Here. To learn more about Waterkeeper, Click Here.
DERT is not the only organization working to protect the Deschutes River watershed and promoting the restoration of the Deschutes estuary. See who else we work with!
- Salmon Defense works to advocate, educate, and litigate on behalf of the 20 Western Washington Treaty Tribe’s in their effort to retain their treaty fishing rights and salmon habitat.
- The Squaxin Island Tribe are the People of the Water of the Deschutes watershed. The Tribe provides economic, scientific and cultural leadership and participates in community projects and policy to improve water quality, manage fisheries and restore wildlife habit in the Deschutes River and its estuary.
- Oly Ecosystems The Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation (OlyEcosystems) was established to protect, preserve, and restore the diverse ecosystems of Olympia, Washington.
During the 2018-2019 year, we partnered with Salmon Defense to host the Festival of the Steh-Chass and the Steh-Chass Native Youth Camp, celebrating and teaching the Indigenous history of the Deschutes/Steh-Chass estuary. DERT works closely with the Squaxin Island Tribe to host educational forums, collaborating on a technical committee, and by promoting and supporting the Tribe’s science and viewpoints around estuary restoration. DERT often partners with Oly Ecosystems, an organization committed to protecting and preserving critical habitat for the Great Pacific Blue Heron, cutthroat trout, salmon and other species.
Additional support is provided by the following organizations and individual donors. Thank you!
