What WaterWays does

WaterWays is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 2004 that empowers communities to protect and restore local watersheds across the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean. Its program portfolio spans three pillars: Education & Engagement (K-12 field trips at Enterprise South Nature Park, Stream Teams after-school clubs, Kids 4 Clean Water Camp, summer swim water-quality reporting), Watershed Protection (RainSmart Yards stormwater certification, Adopt-A-Waterway stewardship, DIY streambank repair workshops using coir logs and native plant livestakes, litter boom installation with Osprey Initiative), and annual community events including the Tennessee River Rescue, Save Water Drink Wine fundraiser, and Nature by the Pint lecture series. The organization also operates WaterWays Caribbean with programs in Belize (Project Mangrove with Galen University, University of Belize, and TASA) and St. Lucia (Flowing Clean Soufriere River restoration funded by GEF SGP UNDP and ProCaribe+), and runs The Gear Closet, a used-gear retail store on Signal Mountain Road whose proceeds fund clean water programs.

Name

WaterWays

Legal name

WaterWays

Website

https://mywaterways.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WaterWays is a Chattanooga-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that delivers watershed education, restoration, litter reduction, and stormwater programs across the Southeastern US and the Caribbean, serving K-12 students, community volunteers, corporate partners, and Caribbean educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Environmental Education and Restoration Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Watershed education programs
• Environmental restoration services
• Community water stewardship
• Nonprofit conservation programs
• Stormwater management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: WaterWays relies on charitable donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Annual events like Save Water Drink Wine serve as major fundraisers. The nonprofit board matches donations up to a specified cap during giving campaigns.
2. The Gear Closet Retail Store: A used gear store where all proceeds support WaterWays clean water initiatives. Revenue comes from reselling donated outdoor and camping gear, including Bonnaroo salvage sale items. The store is operated as both a revenue stream and community engagement touchpoint.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WaterWays is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-driven watershed education, restoration, and stewardship programs across the Southeastern US and Caribbean. Its core offerings include K-12 environmental education (field trips, Stream Teams, summer camps), watershed protection services (RainSmart Yards green infrastructure certification, Adopt-A-Waterway stewardship, streambank repair workshops, litter boom installations), and large-scale volunteer cleanup events (Tennessee River Rescue). It also operates The Gear Closet, a used-gear retail store whose proceeds fund clean water programs.

Product overview

WaterWays operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of environmental programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Education & Engagement programs (field trips, Stream Teams, Kids 4 Clean Water Camp), Watershed Protection initiatives (RainSmart Yards, Adopt-A-Waterway, streambank repair workshops, litter boom installations), Community Events (Tennessee River Rescue, Save Water Drink Wine fundraiser, Nature by the Pint discussions, WaterFest), and specialized Caribbean programs (Project Mangrove in Belize, Flowing Clean in St. Lucia). Supporting operations include the Gear Closet retail store. The organization functions as a program-based nonprofit, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Gear Closet: A used gear retail store where every sale goes toward clean water initiatives. Located on Signal Mountain Road, the store is positioned on a bridge spanning Stringer's Branch.

Products and services

• Education & Engagement Environmental science programming for K-12 students including field trips to Enterprise South Nature Park, outdoor classroom experiences, and in-person outdoor educational activities reaching thousands of students annually. Free to participating schools and groups.
• RainSmart Yards Certification A stormwater management certification program that certifies homeowners who implement green infrastructure practices on their properties using native plants and nature-based solutions to retain stormwater, retaining 3.2 million gallons annually.
• Adopt-A-Waterway Stewardship A stewardship program empowering individuals and community groups to adopt sections of streams or rivers, pledging at least one annual stewardship activity (litter clean-ups, educational outreach, or water quality monitoring).
• Stream Teams Educational program for K-12 students teaching water quality testing, flow measurement, macroinvertebrate sampling, and creek restoration techniques through hands-on creek exploration. Free to participating schools.
• Streambank Repair Workshops DIY workshops teaching homeowners and professionals cost-effective, natural methods for streambank repair using livestakes, coir logs, and coir matting. Conducted in partnership with UT Extension. Free to attendees.
• Tennessee River Rescue Annual large-scale litter cleanup event mobilizing 1,000+ volunteers across six counties in three states (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama) to remove trash from waterways; the region's longest-running clean-up initiative.
• Nature by the Pint Monthly community discussion series held at local breweries featuring expert lectures on environmental topics, conservation efforts, and local wildlife. Free community education programming.
• Save Water Drink Wine (Save Water Soirée) Annual fundraising event celebrating stewardship of local watersheds, featuring global wines, local beers, food from local eateries, live music, auctions, and Big Splash Awards recognizing water champions. Tickets $70 advance / $75 door; designated driver tickets $25.
• Kids 4 Clean Water Camp Summer camp program teaching children about watersheds, water cycles, indicator species, and environmental stewardship through nature hikes, creek exploration, and hands-on activities.
• Neighborhood Environmental College Continuing education lecture series for adults featuring discussions on water quality, outdoor recreation, and environmental topics presented by local experts and partner organizations.
• Litter Boom Program Installation and maintenance of floating litter capture devices on waterways to prevent floating debris from entering larger water systems, in partnership with Osprey Initiative. The first boom in the region captured 9,000+ pounds of litter in its first year.
• Flowing Clean Community-based watershed restoration initiative in St. Lucia focused on addressing pollution in the Soufriere River system through stakeholder engagement, environmental education, waste management technology assessment, and water quality monitoring.
• Project Mangrove Teacher and student workshops in Belize focused on enhancing climate change resiliency through nature-based solutions, mangrove restoration education, and Ridge to Reef watershed management, conducted in partnership with Galen University and University of Belize.
• The Gear Closet Used gear retail store located at 305 Signal Mountain Road, Chattanooga, where all proceeds support WaterWays clean water initiatives. The store spans Stringer's Branch creek and Signal Mountain Road.
• Summer Swim Report Weekly water quality monitoring program testing popular swimming locations for E. coli bacteria levels during summer months to help the community make informed decisions for safe swimming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.2 million gallons of stormwater retained annually through RainSmart Yards
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Galen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024Collaboration on Project Mangrove initiative in Belize. Galen University hosts the mainland portion of teacher and student workshops on ridge-to-reef watershed management, water monitoring, and riparian forestry management. Denaie Swasey, Environmental Science Program Coordinator at Galen, serves as a key contact for the project.
• University of BelizecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024Partners with WaterWays on Project Mangrove workshops. Students and teachers visit the University's remote Calabash Caye Field Station in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve for hands-on mangrove restoration training, snorkeling, and curriculum development. The field station provides three days and two nights of immersive learning.
• Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024Partners with WaterWays Caribbean on Project Mangrove. TASA supports mangrove curriculum development and restoration activities within the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, approximately 33 nautical miles from Belize City.
• Osprey InitiativecoreTechnology or IntegrationOsprey Initiative manufactures and installs litter capture devices (litter booms) that WaterWays deploys on Chattanooga-area creeks. Osprey collaborated with WaterWays on installing five litter booms in Tennessee and one in St. Lucia, including devices at Citico Creek, Chattanooga Creek, Stringers Branch, and the Soufriere River.
• Wild TrailscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWild Trails volunteers have been picking up trash on Chattanooga Creek since 2017. Randy Wharton of Wild Trails was one of the first adopters of the Adopt-A-Waterway program when it launched in 2019.
• St. Lucia Rotary ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with WaterWays Caribbean on the Adopt-A-River cleanup at Castries River as part of World Ocean Day activities during the WaterWays Caribbean rebranding celebration.
• UT Extension (University of Tennessee)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr. Andrea Ludwig, Associate Professor of Ecological Engineering at UTK, co-facilitates streambank repair workshops with WaterWays. UT Extension provides technical expertise and resources including creekbank protection guides and riparian zone management materials.
• City of Chattanooga (Parks and Natural Resource Departments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity staff collaborate with WaterWays on streambank repair workshops, invasive plant removal days, and litter reduction initiatives. The Stormwater and Natural Resource Departments participate in stream repair projects and community education programs.
• Discover Life in AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with WaterWays on BioBlitz events at Enterprise South Nature Park. Discover Life in America provides iNaturalist maps and supplies for species identification, contributing to wetland corridor mapping and biodiversity documentation.
• Volkswagen of ChattanoogamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolkswagen employees volunteer at WaterWays field trips, invasive plant removals, and environmental education events. VW Environmental Compliance Specialist Kaye Fiorello initiated the Dragonfly Project and Beaver Defeater Project. VW also hosted a Biodiversity Day event at its plant. VW helped create outdoor learning areas at Red Bank Elementary.
• Tennessee RiverLinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee RiverLine partners with WaterWays to expand the Tennessee River Rescue to communities across the watershed basin, including Northern Alabama and Rhea and Meigs County, TN. WaterWays received the Excellence in Stewardship Award at the Tennessee RiverLine Summit.
• KomatsuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized as WaterWays' 2025 Business Water Champion for responsible chemical management, zero waste goals, stormwater drain inspections, and native plant/bioswale projects. Komatsu employees participated in local waterway cleanups and outdoor learning area creation at Red Bank Elementary.
• Chattanooga ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BioBlitz events at Enterprise South Nature Park, bringing herpetology expertise and educational displays. William Ternes, herpetology keeper at the zoo, presents at Nature by the Pint lectures on the Eastern Hellbender.
• Tennessee Ornithological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BioBlitz species identification events at Enterprise South Nature Park, contributing birding expertise and binoculars for wetland exploration activities.
• DUNKIN' DONUTSminorOthersProvides refreshments for WaterWays streambank repair workshops and community events, supporting volunteer engagement activities.
• Ducks UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterWays collaborates with Ducks Unlimited on installing wood duck boxes at Enterprise South Nature Park's hidden lake and VW wetland, as part of the vision shared with VW Environmental Compliance Specialist Kaye Fiorello.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• EarthEcho International: Youth water-education nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., running water-quality monitoring and youth engagement programs. Comparable in K-12 water-science programming and citizen-science approach; smaller and more digital/programmatic than WaterWays.
• Captain Planet Foundation: Atlanta-based environmental education nonprofit funding K-12 eco-projects. Comparable in mission focus (youth environmental stewardship and water education) but operates as a grantmaker rather than direct program operator like WaterWays.

Direct peers

• Tennessee Riverkeeper: Chattanooga-based water-quality advocacy nonprofit working on the same Tennessee River watershed. Direct peer: comparable region, comparable mission (clean water, advocacy, monitoring), and overlapping volunteer/partner networks with WaterWays.
• Tennessee RiverLine: Tennessee statewide trail-and-watershed initiative that has already partnered with WaterWays on the Tennessee River Rescue and awarded it the Excellence in Stewardship Award. Direct peer and active partner; comparable audience and mission.
• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit running beach and waterway cleanups, water-quality monitoring, and K-12 ocean-education programs. Direct peer: same clean-up + education + advocacy combination, similar volunteer-driven model and chapter-based footprint.
• Chattahoochee Riverkeeper: Atlanta-based Waterkeeper Alliance member focused on protecting the Chattahoochee watershed through patrols, sampling, and education. Direct peer: similar nonprofit structure, watershed protection mission, school education programming, and litter/pollution cleanups.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Tennessee Chapter): Global conservation organization with a Tennessee chapter working on watershed and forest protection. Comparable in environmental stewardship and corporate partnership model, but vastly larger scale and more land-acquisition-oriented than WaterWays.
• American Rivers: National river-conservation advocacy organization protecting and restoring U.S. rivers. Comparable in watershed/river protection mission and policy focus, but operates at federal scale rather than community-program delivery.
• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification through affiliate networks. Comparable in litter-cleanup advocacy and education, but broader geographic and thematic scope than WaterWays' watershed focus.

Others

• River Network: National hub organization that supports watershed-protection nonprofits with training, convenings, and funding. Thematically aligned with WaterWays' mission and a likely capacity-building partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MyWaterWays
• Instagraminstagram.com/mywaterways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mywaterways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 WaterWays