Water Rangers

The Water Rangers Program has continued to grow its reach, leading three training sessions in North Dakota and Missouri. These included a general training in Richland County, North Dakota, and a general and site-specific training in Daviess County, Missouri. Each session equipped community members with practical tools to monitor water quality and document pollution.

This quarter also marked an important step in Tribal engagement. In late July, Water Rangers staff visited Isabella County, Michigan, where a 3,500-head dairy CAFO has long polluted a nearby waterway and racked up violations. Joined by Good Sky Guidance, a native-led consulting firm, the team met with members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to hear their experiences with CAFOs and to build relationships. They also collaborated with the Tribal environmental team to conduct water testing on the impaired waterway, laying the groundwork for ongoing partnership and culturally relevant monitoring. Water Rangers staff is currently working with the community to find more information on the new construction of a digester and satellite lagoon at the facility.

The Water Rangers team is also currently working with the Legal team to develop more partnerships with universities conducting research related to CAFOs and water contamination. The team is still working with the Jay Lab at UCLA, recently set up a partnership with a student research group at the University of Colorado, and is in discussions with the Harkin Institute at Drake University to provide water monitoring training.