Water Rangers

The Water Rangers Program has had a strong start to 2025, achieving several key milestones. They have conducted three training sessions so far — two public trainings for Indiana/Ohio and Illinois/Wisconsin and a private training for Washtenaw County, Michigan. There were 60 individual attendees across these three trainings, many of whom requested water testing kits and expressed interest in further engagement. Additional training sessions are scheduled, including a national training and state trainings for Michigan, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Ongoing efforts are being made to organize sessions in Missouri and Pennsylvania.

In March, Cole Dickerson, Water Rangers Program Manager, presented at the National Monitoring Conference, highlighting the role of SRAP’s GIS portal in water monitoring and advocacy efforts. Community engagement efforts also have been a focus this quarter, with listening sessions conducted for Missouri, Wisconsin’s Lower Sugar River Watershed, and GreenLatinos. SRAP is also expanding its outreach to Native Nations in Michigan and other key regions through collaboration with Good Sky Guidance. Additionally, SRAP has strengthened its advocacy efforts by officially joining the Illinois Livestock Reform Coalition to further expand water protection initiatives. These combined efforts continue to build momentum in supporting local advocates in their fight against concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) pollution and protecting water resources.