Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

What Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper does

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK), legally Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered at 6020 River View Road SE, Smyrna, Georgia, with additional offices in the Middle Chattahoochee and Headwaters regions. The organization is the primary guardian of the Chattahoochee River watershed, with a mission to ensure clean, plentiful water for current and future generations. Its work spans three operational pillars: educate (Floating Classroom, Get the Dirt Out, youth fly fishing), investigate (Neighborhood Water Watch volunteer bacteria monitoring, BacteriALERT real-time tracking, water-quality sampling, Georgia Tech microplastics research, CASSI pollution-source tracking, in-stream trash capture via Litter Gitters and floating wetland traps), and advocate (Clean Water Act citizen-suit enforcement, legislative work, climate and drought response, water planning). CRK is a founding member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, holds the Candid Platinum Seal and a 4-Star Charity Navigator rating, and serves metro Atlanta, the broader Chattahoochee watershed, and adjacent jurisdictions including Columbus, GA and Phenix City, AL.

CRK's technology stack is centered on environmental monitoring hardware and databases rather than software products. The proprietary components include the Neighborhood Water Watch community-monitoring program (which has detected 90+ sewer spills since 2010), the BacteriALERT real-time bacteria tracking system (20 years of operation), the CASSI pollution-source identification system, and in-stream trash-capture devices including Litter Gitters in Proctor Creek and a floating wetland trash trap co-developed with the City of Chamblee and Cox Enterprises. The flagship green-infrastructure project, Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park, captures 3.5 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually through bioswales and permeable surfaces.

CRK's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: annual membership dues from a 10,000+ member community, individual donations, corporate partnerships (Coca-Cola Replenish, Cox Enterprises, Bank of America, Home Depot Community Foundation), foundation grants (North Georgia Community Foundation), planned-giving/bequest programs, and merchandise sales through the CRK online shop. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than sales-driven, anchored by Sweep the Hooch (1,154 volunteers across 60+ sites), the Swim Guide water-safety program, River Rendezvous, Waterfest, and youth programs, with advocacy and earned media amplifying member acquisition. Customer/stakeholder segments include individual supporters, recreational water users, students, municipal water utilities, policy makers, and corporate sustainability partners.

Name

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

Legal name

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

Website

https://chattahoochee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that protects the Chattahoochee River through community-driven water quality monitoring, Clean Water Act enforcement, green-infrastructure projects, and education across metro Atlanta and the broader watershed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and River Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Water quality monitoring
• Environmental advocacy services
• Watershed protection programs
• River conservation efforts
• Clean water enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with 10,000+ members paying annual dues to support river protection work. Membership includes community access, newsletters, and volunteer opportunities.
2. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting environmental protection. Website features 'Donate' CTA prominently.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations such as Coca-Cola (Replenish program), Cox Enterprises, and others who provide funding and support for specific projects.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling CRK-branded merchandise ('Shop CRK Gear'), with proceeds funding conservation work.
5. Planned Giving: Bequest and planned giving program for long-term donor support.
6. Foundation Grants: North Georgia Community Foundation awarded funding to support CRK's community water testing program in January 2022.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that protects and restores the Chattahoochee River through water quality monitoring, community education, pollution enforcement under the Clean Water Act, and volunteer-driven cleanup and stewardship programs. It runs programs such as Swim Guide, Neighborhood Water Watch, BacteriALERT, Floating Classroom, Get the Dirt Out, and in-stream trash removal, and funds operations through memberships, donations, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper operates as a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization with a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River. The organization offers a unified suite of environmental programs centered around education, investigation, and advocacy. Key offerings include the Swim Guide water safety program, Water Quality Monitoring with the Neighborhood Water Watch volunteer program and BacteriALERT real-time bacteria tracking, the Floating Classroom educational initiative, the Get the Dirt Out stormwater education program, and various cleanup initiatives like Sweep the Hooch. The organization also conducts enforcement actions through Clean Water Act litigation and advocates for water protection legislation. These programs work together to fulfill the organization's mission of ensuring clean, plentiful water in the Chattahoochee River for current and future generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swim Guide A water safety program providing real-time bacteria and water quality information to recreational water users (swimmers, kayakers, fishermen) on the Chattahoochee River.
• Water Quality Monitoring Comprehensive program that collects water samples, tests for bacteria and pollutants, and tracks water conditions throughout the Chattahoochee River watershed.
• Neighborhood Water Watch (NWW) Community-driven collaborative bacteria monitoring program involving neighborhood groups, schools, and citizens to assess and protect water quality in the Chattahoochee River watershed.
• Floating Classroom On-the-water educational program that teaches participants about the Chattahoochee River ecosystem, water conservation, and environmental stewardship.
• Get the Dirt Out Self-guided training program teaching citizens how to identify construction sites that fail to comply with Georgia's erosion and sedimentation control laws and how to report violations.
• Enforcement Program Program that investigates violations, files Clean Water Act lawsuits against polluters, and works with regulatory agencies to enforce environmental laws in the Chattahoochee watershed.
• In-Stream Trash Removal Program that installs and operates trash traps and conducts volunteer cleanups to remove trash and litter from the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries to protect water quality and wildlife habitat.
• Sweep the Hooch Annual volunteer river cleanup event held at multiple sites throughout the Chattahoochee watershed, engaging community members to remove trash and protect the river.
• Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Program Program that monitors and researches harmful algal blooms in the Chattahoochee River, studying their causes and impacts on human health, fish, and wildlife.
• Water Planning and Conservation Advocacy program promoting sustainable water management plans and policies, working with governments and water providers to ensure adequate clean water supplies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90+ sewer spills detected since 2010, effectively stopping millions of gallons of raw sewage from reaching the river
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 May 2026Legal counsel representing CRK in federal lawsuit against Aspire at Old Guard developers for Clean Water Act violations. Provides pro bono or reduced-cost legal services for environmental enforcement.
• City of ChambleecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Partnership to install floating wetland trash trap in Chamblee community park for Earth Day 2026. City provided local coordination and support for the litter-capture device that also provides wildlife habitat.
• Piedmont Park ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2024Co-hosting youth fly fishing program in Atlanta. Partnership to engage young people in fishing recreation and river stewardship education.
• Southern Environmental Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2024Collaborative partnership to threaten lawsuit against City of Atlanta for Clean Water Act violations. Combined advocacy and legal resources for environmental enforcement action.
• Georgia TechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Collaboration on microplastics research - collected water samples from river downstream of Atlanta and inspected microplastics. Academic partnership to assess extent of microplastic contamination in the Chattahoochee River.
• Park PridecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnered on Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park project - a 'Park with Purpose' designed to reduce flooding by capturing and absorbing stormwater. Park Pride contributed to park design and community engagement.
• The Conservation FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019National program partner for 'Park with Purpose' initiative. Contributed to design of Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park and broader green infrastructure approach for urban stormwater management.
• Georgia Environmental Protection DivisionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2005CRK works with EPD on Get the Dirt Out program - citizen training to identify construction site violations. EPD provides regulatory framework and enforcement support for reported violations.
• Trees AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Green Streets and Clean Streams' project - curbside planters designed to combat stormwater runoff. Trees Atlanta provided expertise on tree canopy and stormwater filtration. Project installed bioswales in West View and Inman Park neighborhoods.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Georgia-based Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate protecting the Ogeechee River watershed with the same member-supported nonprofit model, water quality monitoring, and Clean Water Act enforcement strategy.
• Coosa Riverkeeper: Alabama-based Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate operating on the Coosa River with similar programs: Swim Guide, water quality monitoring, pollution source identification, and citizen enforcement actions.
• Altamaha Riverkeeper: Georgia Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate protecting the Altamaha River watershed, with overlapping programs including water quality monitoring, citizen science initiatives, and Clean Water Act enforcement advocacy.
• Southern Environmental Law Center: Regional environmental legal advocacy organization and active CRK partner on Clean Water Act litigation against the City of Atlanta. Directly comparable in legal advocacy mission and Southern US regional water protection focus.
• Flint Riverkeeper: Georgia Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate protecting the Flint River basin with comparable nonprofit advocacy model, water monitoring, and community engagement programs in an overlapping geographic and political context.
• Savannah Riverkeeper: Sister Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate operating in Georgia with identical model: water quality monitoring, citizen enforcement under Clean Water Act, community cleanups, and member-supported advocacy for the Savannah River watershed.

Broad incumbents

• Waterkeeper Alliance: National umbrella organization of which CRK is a founding member. Provides network support, shared technology platforms like Swim Guide, and collective advocacy on federal water policy—directly comparable in mission, if not in operational scope.
• American Rivers: National nonprofit focused on river conservation across the United States, with overlapping mission in freshwater protection, dam removal advocacy, and water quality policy—but operating at a much larger geographic and organizational scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: Major international environmental nonprofit with active Georgia chapter working on watershed protection, land conservation, and freshwater systems. Comparable in conservation mission but operates at vastly greater scale and resources.

Regional players

• Georgia Conservancy: Statewide Georgia environmental advocacy organization addressing water resources, land conservation, and policy. Comparable in regional advocacy mission and Georgia-specific focus, though broader in scope beyond water alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crkeeper
• Facebookfacebook.com/118239508922
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chattahoochee-riverkeeper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper