Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

What Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council does

Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) is an Indigenous grassroots nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It is a membership-based coalition of 73 First Nations and Tribes spanning the Yukon River Watershed from its headwaters in Canada through Alaska to the river's mouth, collectively representing roughly 126,000 people across nearly 2,000 miles and 56+ rural villages. The organization is governed by an Executive Committee with two Co-Chairs (one representing Alaska's Yukon Flats region and one representing Canada's Carcross/Tagish First Nation) and an Executive Director (Theresa Clark).

YRITWC's core deliverable is technical assistance to member nations across six program areas: Water Stewardship and the Indigenous Observation Network (ION) — a community-based water quality monitoring program operated in partnership with USGS since 2006 that integrates Indigenous Traditional Knowledge with Western science; a Drinking Water Program for rural villages; a Solid Waste Management Program including backhaul services for hazardous materials; a Brownfields Tribal Response Program covering 56 villages with contaminated sites; a Mining Program including the Mining in Alaska Toolkit and Mining Activity interactive maps; and a GIS & Mapping Services line anchored by the IGAP Interactive Map. Supporting capabilities include K-12 environmental education materials, webinar-based training, and a resource library.

The organization operates as a non-commercial entity funded almost entirely by federal grants (EPA through IGAP and Brownfields, NSF, USDA Rural Development, BIA, ANA) and private foundation grants (Rasmuson, Lannan, Charlotte Martin, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Honor the Earth), with services provided at no cost to member communities. Distribution is direct: a six-person staff team delivers technical assistance and coordinates cross-tribal efforts, supported by partnerships with USGS, Alaska DEC, Rural Cap, Total Reclaim, Northern Air Cargo, and academic collaborators. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but the program breadth and multi-agency federal support are consistent with a small-to-mid-sized tribal environmental nonprofit operating budget.

Name

Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

Legal name

Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

Website

https://yritwc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YRITWC is an Indigenous nonprofit coalition of 73 First Nations and Tribes that delivers environmental technical assistance across the Yukon River Watershed, including water quality monitoring, drinking water, solid waste, brownfields cleanup, and mining impact programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Environmental Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Remediation Services (562910), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), Groundwater Monitoring & Well Sampling (Monitoring Wells, Plumes) (EUAHACAE), Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) & Long-Term Monitoring (BPALAKAH), Wetlands & Waters of the U.S. Delineation / Riparian Assessments (EUAHAHAC)

Keywords

• Watershed protection services
• Tribal environmental programs
• Water quality monitoring
• Brownfields cleanup services
• Indigenous environmental advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from federal and foundation grants including National Science Foundation, EPA, USDA Rural Development, Administration for Native Americans, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and private foundations such as Rasmuson Foundation and Charlotte Martin Foundation.
2. Donations: Individual and organizational donations from donors including Debra Pitka, Kelly Donnelly, Edigar Alves, Bluebird Taylor, and various tribal governments and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

YRITWC provides technical assistance, environmental monitoring, and program services to 73 First Nations and Tribes for the protection and preservation of the Yukon River Watershed. Core offerings include the Indigenous Observation Network (ION) for community-based water quality monitoring in partnership with USGS, the Drinking Water Program supporting rural villages with infrastructure and water quality improvements, Solid Waste Management with backhaul services, the Brownfields Tribal Response Program serving 56 villages, the Mining Program with advocacy and education tools, GIS mapping services, and K-12 environmental education materials.

Product overview

YRITWC is an Indigenous grassroots non-profit organization consisting of 73 First Nations and Tribes dedicated to protection and preservation of the Yukon River Watershed. The organization offers a coordinated suite of environmental programs including the Water Stewardship/Indigenous Observation Network (ION) for water quality monitoring, Drinking Water Program, Solid Waste Management Program with backhaul services, Brownfields Tribal Response Program for contaminated site cleanup, Mining Program with advocacy tools, and GIS & Mapping Services. Environmental Education materials serve K-12 students. The IGAP program provides technical assistance to tribal governments. These programs integrate traditional Indigenous knowledge with scientific environmental monitoring to promote watershed and community health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Stewardship / Indigenous Observation Network (ION) Environmental water quality monitoring program that integrates Indigenous traditional knowledge with scientific methods. Partners with USGS to collect high-quality environmental data about water and land through community-based monitoring across the Yukon River Basin.
• Drinking Water Program Supports rural villages in addressing water quality challenges, aging infrastructure, and climate change impacts through technical training, water quality improvement plans, and grant application assistance.
• Solid Waste Management Program Provides technical assistance for waste management challenges including overfilled landfills, hazardous materials, and climate change impacts. Includes backhaul services for removing hazardous materials from rural communities using partners such as Total Reclaim and Northern Air Cargo.
• Brownfields Tribal Response Program Assesses and facilitates cleanup of contaminated sites including old dumps, petroleum spills, abandoned structures with hazardous materials, and mine scarred lands. Services 56 villages within the watershed.
• Mining Program Creates user-friendly tools to inform local decision-making on mining, empowers communities to collect mining contaminant data, and promotes responsible mining development through the Mining in Alaska Toolkit.
• GIS & Mapping Services Interactive mapping tools including IGAP Map characterizing human and natural activity in the Yukon River Watershed with emphasis on water quality threats, and mining activity maps showing mine locations and impacts.
• Environmental Education Educational materials for Elementary, Middle School, and High School levels including Web of Life curriculum, Macroinvertebrates and Water, Watersheds and Ecology Activity Book, and Looking at Water Quality resources.
• IGAP (Indian General Assistance Program) Technical assistance program funded by EPA providing environmental support services to tribal governments including contaminated site assessment, emergency response planning, and environmental training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water quality monitoring partnership with USGS spanning since 2006
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• United States Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Since 2006, YRITWC and Yukon River Basin communities have partnered with USGS to collect high quality environmental data about water and land through the Indigenous Observation Network. USGS provides scientific expertise and data management support for water quality monitoring.
• Northern Boreal LCCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator in environmental monitoring and research efforts in the Yukon River Basin.
• Woods Hole Research CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborator contributing to climate science and environmental monitoring in the watershed.
• University of Alaska AnchoragesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in environmental research and monitoring collaboration.
• Total ReclaimsupportingOthersPartner for hazardous materials backhaul services including electronics and white goods removal.
• Northern Air CargosupportingOthersAir cargo transportation partner for shipping materials to remote Yukon River communities.
• Rural CapsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in solid waste management and rural development initiatives.
• Alaska DECsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlaska Department of Environmental Conservation partner for regulatory compliance and environmental programs.
• TechSoupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology donation program partner providing technology resources to nonprofits.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Tribal Water Council: National organization advancing tribal water quality and quantity interests across Indian Country. Direct peer on the water-policy, monitoring, and federal-grant-navigation dimensions of YRITWC's work.
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium: Alaska-wide tribal health and environmental nonprofit serving Alaska Native communities with overlapping water-quality, sanitation, and rural infrastructure programs. Directly comparable mission (Indigenous-led environmental and health services) and Alaska operating geography.
• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission: Inter-tribal body managing off-reservation treaty rights and natural resources across the Great Lakes. Comparable in scope, inter-tribal governance, scientific monitoring mandate, and federal partnership model.
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission: Tribal commission supporting western Washington treaty tribes on fisheries and natural resource management. Similar inter-tribal governance model, scientific monitoring programs, and federal-tribal funding structure.
• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission: Inter-tribal commission coordinating natural resource management among member tribes along the Columbia River. Highly comparable as a tribal-coordinated watershed/fishery stewardship body with scientific monitoring, policy advocacy, and multi-program structure analogous to YRITWC.

Regional players

• Cook Inlet Tribal Council: Alaska Native tribal nonprofit providing environmental, education, and social services to Alaska Native communities. Operates in the same state with similar rural-Alaska environmental program mix, though smaller geographic scope.
• Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona: Multi-program inter-tribal nonprofit serving Arizona tribes with environmental, water, and solid waste programs analogous to YRITWC's portfolio, but operating in a different (southwestern) geography.

Others

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Alaska Science Center: YRITWC's longest-running scientific partner (since 2006) on the Indigenous Observation Network. Listed as an 'other' rather than a peer because USGS is the federal scientific collaborator enabling YRITWC's monitoring capacity.

Emerging players

• Indigenous Environmental Network: Indigenous-led environmental advocacy organization addressing climate, water protection, and environmental justice. Comparable Indigenous-led mission and advocacy orientation, though more advocacy- and less science-monitoring-heavy than YRITWC.
• Rivers Without Borders: Indigenous-led transboundary watershed protection organization focused on the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk rivers in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. Directly analogous transboundary, Indigenous-led watershed mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/YRITWC
• Facebookfacebook.com/YRITWC/?ref=bookmarks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yukon-river-inter-tribal-watershed-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/theyritwc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council