The White River Watchers came together in 1998 for the purpose of "preserving and protecting the White River watershed by means of community action and public education". Our first official project was a clean up of the White River on the East side of Anderson. It netted us over two tons of debris and well over 150 tires. Since that time, the watchers have accumulated a long list of activities that demonstrate the spirit of community service and volunteerism.

         After the White River Fish Kill in December 1999, the Watchers decided to take the next step. With the help of Bill Shearer, a local attorney, we became a tax-exempt not-for -profit organization. Following is a list of the activities that the WRW has been involved with since its founding in 1988:

1. Conducting two major river clean-ups per year (for a total of 12) from 1998-2003

2. Removal of over 4000 tires from the Anderson stretch of the White River

3. Performing at least 2 mini clean-ups per year, in which we target one zone of the river for intense cleaning

4. Participation in Level 1, 2, and 3 Riverwatch workshops, sponsored by IDNR Hoosier Riverwatch program

5. Participation in Project Wild and Project Wet, educational programs sponsored by IDNR (summer, 2003)

6. Helping White River Rescue 2000 to stock thousands of immature and mature fish back into the White River after the fish kill of 1999 (2001-2003)

7. Participation in Jake's Day (a Wild Turkey Federation outdoor education program involving over 100 young people) for past 3 years

8. Sponsoring a canoe paddling clinic for boy scouts (2000)

9. Participation in the Indiana Sierra Club's Ride the River 2000

10. Going into many different elementary classrooms with a working watershed model to educate children about water pollution(2001-2003)

11. Printing a newsletter that comes out every 3 months with feature stories, fishing information, and a Conservation Corner for kids

12. Instigating a proposal to clean-up the Old Moss Island Road dump west of Anderson with money from the Fish Kill Fund (2003)

13. Sponsoring a booth for the past several years at our local Earth Day celebration

14. Sponsoring a booth at the Madison County 4-H Fair

15. Assisting the community of Yorktown with organizing their first White River clean-up in 2002

16. Sending representatives to meetings of the Madison County Storm Sewer advisory committee (2003)

17. Sending representatives to the White River Advisory Council, which is charged with spending the $6 million fine from the Fish Kill on projects which will rehabilitate and restore the White River (2001-2003)

18. Adopting a 1/2 mile section of the White River in downtown Anderson (2001)

19. Monitoring the White River for IDNR water quality parameters (ongoing)

20. Organizing tours of the Anderson Waste Water Treatment facility

21. Working with the City of Anderson in an ongoing effort to remove the most visible and offensive signs of river pollution

22. Raising money from local businesses and individuals to fund our programs and clean-ups, at which we hand out free t-shirts and lunches

23. Writing and securing small grants to provide educational materials for students (2002)

24. Periodically meeting with the Mayor of Anderson for discussions regarding matters that affect the White River

25. Working to raise public awareness of water quality issues.

26. Bringing a long list of educational speakers to the Anderson Public Library (ongoing)

27. Having an "open to the public" meeting every 3rd Monday of the month at the Anderson Public Library

      Each and every member of the Board of Directors is an active participant in our projects and programs. For this reason, I would like to nominate the entire organization for the award. The 2003  officers were:

      The White River Watchers have done an outstanding job of bringing community awareness to most precious natural resource within the city limits of Anderson. We have brought hundreds of volunteers of all ages together with the common purpose of beautifying the river. Since we began our clean-ups six years ago, we have seen a marked improvement in the visual quality of the river. We have helped to inform the community and ourselves about water quality that affect our lives and our pocketbooks.

       Thank you for awarding White River Watchers for this award. Thank you all members, sponsors, affiliates, and volunteers for helping with White River Watchers activities throughout the years.

URBAN FORESTRY AWARD