Help Us Expand Our Fleet, Support the Three Rivers

As your Three Rivers Waterkeeper, we work to protect and restore our region’s waterways. We monitor our water for pollution and create educational and water access opportunities, allowing more residents to connect with our rivers and ensuring clean water for future generations. To continue this work, we need to grow – and we need your help.

We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal for a larger boat, and a huge milestone in our ability to provide support to our communities. We will soon be able to double our monitoring capacity and increase our on the water educational programs!

To cross the finish line, we're throwing in a chance to win an ecotour -- a one-of-a kind experience on our waterways with our Waterkeeper. Be the highest individual donor and win a day for yourself and six guests in the Pittsburgh Pool! You’ll be our first guest on the new boat and get a glimpse of some of Pittsburgh’s prized ecosystems from the water. Previous donations count towards the chance to win! 
All donations help us reach our goal - no matter what size! Donate to 3RWK and our new boat today. Any amount helps us support clean water in our region.

Why We Need a Larger, Safer Boat:

Capacity: Our current 16-foot boat has been an invaluable asset for patrols, accommodating 1 to 3 people in optimal conditions. However, to truly engage with our community and respond effectively to environmental challenges, we need a boat that can carry at least 8 people. This expanded capacity will allow us to take larger groups—such as students, film crews, and community volunteers—on river tours, clean-up events, and educational outings. There have been numerous occasions when we had to turn down important opportunities simply because we couldn't transport everyone.

Seaworthiness: The safety and comfort of our passengers is paramount. Our existing boat struggles in rough conditions, particularly when winds exceed 10-15 mph, making for a bumpy and potentially hazardous ride. A new boat with a longer, narrower hull and a shallow V design will provide a smoother ride, allowing us to patrol year-round and safely navigate the challenging conditions our rivers can present.

Safeguard: Our operations are vulnerable to disruption if our single boat is out of commission. In spring 2023, a small part failure left us without our boat for an entire month, jeopardizing critical activities. Having a second boat would ensure that our work can continue uninterrupted, no matter the circumstances.

Major Foundation Donations as of August 2025:  

• The Posner Foundation
• The Heinz Endowments
• Colcom Foundation
• Arconic Foundation
• Dylan Todd Simonds Foundation
• Andrew Fisher Memorial Fund