Save the River ~ a Non-profit Organization Worth Getting Involved In

The Sant Lawrence River is such a beautiful body of fresh water! If you've never heard of it, that's okay, you're not alone. It is perhaps one of the secret get-a-ways between America and Canada that many folks don't know about. When you arrive, it is as though you have reached paradise. You need go no further, but you can! The beauty of the Saint Lawrence SeaWay is that this River spans between two countries ~ from the west at Lake Ontario and north-east between New York and Canada. It then travels further north through Canada, eventually spilling out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Who watches out for the River?

Save the River does, that's who. This non-profit organization is located in Clayton, New York. Its primary function is to help maintain the health of the St.Lawrence river and, the natural wildlife and inhabitants. In this effort, Save the River is continually advocating for the rivers health on issues such as: maintaining healthy water levels in the river, invasive species and shipping, Asian Carp and its harmful risks, water quality and much, much more.

Currently, the organization is working with the federal government of the U.S. as well as Canada in order to develop ways to allow for a natural flow plan for the River and Lakes.

Because the St. Lawrence is a major seaway, its channel seeing thousands of ocean freighters coming in from Europe and beyond carrying imports to the Americas, a practice that began fifty years ago, has unleashed one of the world's most environmental disasters according to author and environmentalist Jeff Alexander. These freighters can also be a free ride to many species that harm the rivers natural resources.

A visit to Clayton, NY

On my most recent visit to the Save The River office, I was greeted by Intern, Curtis Bulker. Curtis is currently running a program called, Beach Watch. In a nut shell, this program determines whether popular swim locations around the River are safe. There are currently five locations that are tested. These areas are not tested by any other agencies, even though their popularity is high. The goal of the organization is to test the waters bacteria levels and compare them to state water quality levels for those who enter the River. All samples are tested at Converse Laboratories in Watertown, New York. This program is run throughout the summer. It is a nice way for folks to know the quality of the water that they are jumping in to. Volunteers are always needed to take samples.

Catch and Release (not just the name of a movie!)

Another program that Save the River is known for is The Saint Lawrence River Muskellunge Release Award. Through this program, along with the help of the Thousand Island Biological Station and dedicated anglers, the goal is to protect the Muskellunge population by advocating catch and release. Releasing Muskellunge over the legal size of 48 is needed to protect this naturally sustained population. 2009 proved to be quite as success, as the 1000^th Muskellunge was released. Yes!

Teach your children well

Save the River loves to teach and involve kids too. They are the future, so learning about the River is important at a young age. One fun way is the Frog program. Frogs are the Canaries of the river. In other words, if the frogs are suffering, so will the rest of the rivers inhabitants. The frogs will let us know first.
Save the River also initiated a program called, In Schools which works with the areas local schools to educate the children about the River. Local school districts are encouraged to get involved, thus allowing their teachers to receive training from the organization itself. What a great idea for the community!

For more information about supporting and learning about Save The River's many activities and events or to just learn more about the Saint Lawrence River, please visit their website (posted below).

Location, location, location
Save The River is located at:

409 Riverside Drive

Clayton, NY 13624

Feel free to stop in for a chat. They have really cool T-shirts for sale too!

To find them on the web: www.savetheriver.org