Nantucket Land &
Water Council
Nantucket Land &
Water Council
Waterkeeper Program
We Defend Clean Water with Clear Action
5 Decades of Water Protection
As the island’s environmental advocate, the NLWC has been steadfastly defending Nantucket’s water resources for more than fifty years. Shortly after we were founded in the 1970s we began advocating for wetland protection, before going on in the 1980s to successfully advocate for the adoption of pioneering groundwater regulations on Nantucket and helping to establish an overlay protection district for our public drinking water supply.
In the 1990s, we commissioned a study leading to the mapping of Island watersheds, sponsored our first-ever Harbor Symposium, and began our ongoing data collection at island ponds.
Over the last two decades, the NLWC has secured permits for, and successfully developed several eelgrass habitat restoration projects in Nantucket Harbor, established the NLWC Waterkeeper Program and Water Fund, and helped to shape and raise awareness around much-needed fertilizer regulations for the island in order to reduce nutrient-loading in our ponds and harbors. We successfully advocated against the installation of PFAS-laden artificial turf at the Nantucket Public Schools, have steadfastly opposed the expansion of the environmentally detrimental Sconset Bluff Geotubes project, continue to monitor a number of island ponds for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) on a weekly basis, led the effort to create a Clean Water Coalition on the island and established a first-of-its-kind PFAS private well sampling pilot program in partnership with the Nantucket PFAS Action Group
Water Fund
In 2017, the Board of the Nantucket Land & Water Council voted to establish a fund specifically dedicated to supporting collaborative marine and freshwater projects on Nantucket - the NLWC Water Fund, which has supported our ongoing water protection program and advocacy work as well as collaborative community events and projects related to water quality ever since. We are deeply grateful to our generous
Water Fund Founders Circle and to all those whose ongoing support for the
Water Fund makes this critically important work possible.
Waterkeeper Alliance
In 2020, the Nantucket Land & Water Council joined a closely-knit global network of nonprofits focused on one thing, and one thing only - clean water. For everyone. Founded in 1966 by a group of blue collar commercial fishermen on New York’s Hudson River to stop industrial polluters from destroying an American way of life, the Waterkeeper Alliance is now the largest and fastest growing nonprofit focused solely on clean water.
The Waterkeeper Alliance connects local nonprofits around the world into a network of like-minded scientists, attorneys, advocates and educators to build coalitions around waterways. By building on the successes of fellow organizations and banding together, over three hundred and fifty Waterkeepers, Baykeepers and Riverkeepers are working towards fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters for all.
Nantucket, with its sole-source aquifer, picturesque harbors, quiet ponds and the vast expanse of Nantucket Sound and the greater Atlantic ocean comprise some of the most iconic and historic natural resources America has to offer. For half a century, the Nantucket Land & Water Council has advocated for the protection of natural resources here on the island. By joining the Waterkeeper Alliance, the Nantucket Land & Water Council is strengthening our commitment to improving and protecting Nantucket’s bountiful aquatic resources.
Contrary to what the name may suggest, a Waterkeeper does not “keep” anything. They don’t own any rivers, lakes, or bays. A Waterkeeper serves as the “eyes and ears” for a particular watershed, protecting the public trust. As a non-government, full-time advocate, the Nantucket Waterkeeper conducts water quality research, comments at public meetings, and if necessary, holds polluters and violators accountable in court. The Nantucket Waterkeeper is an active presence on the water, in the community, and the classrooms, promoting clean water practices.
Here on Nantucket, we are blessed with gorgeous beaches and historic fishing grounds which bring thousands of visitors to our community every summer. Tourists drive and support our economy. The tourism industry is a double-edged sword, however. More people means more electricity and cars on our roads and boats in our harbors. It means more water from our aquifer, more fertilizer on lawns and gardens, and more sewage headed into septic systems. It means more fishing pressure on our local species. The Nantucket Waterkeeper works tirelessly, year-round, to make sure all this humanity can coexist with our fragile ecosystems.
We can’t do this additional work without your help!
We ask for your help to support our water research and programs by making a donation to the Water Fund. Help us continue our critical work by making a Water Fund donation today!
