Who I Am
Jamie Brunkow
As the Sassafras RIVERKEEPER®, I serve as the eyes, ears, and public voice of the Sassafras River. I patrol the River regularly, looking for sources of pollution, conducting water quality testing, and observing the condition of shorelines and buffers.
I work closely with my colleagues in the WATERKEEPER® Alliance, an international coalition of more than 182 organizations working at the grassroots level for clean water. There are more than 15 RIVERKEEPERS working on the Chesapeake Bay's tributaries.
You can read my latest findings in the "RIVERKEEPER's Corner" in the Sassafras Update.
What I Do
I patrol the Sassafras River Watershed in the RIVERKEEPER vessel, by canoe and kayak, on foot, and by car looking for sources of pollution. When I identify potential issues, I work with homeowners, businesses, boaters and governments to correct the issue. If you would like to accompany me on patrol, contact me by email or on 410 708-3303.
I'm not here to prevent people from doing what they want to do. I'm here to help them see that there are different ways of going about things that are better for the health of the River.
I also conduct regular water quality testing, both as part of the Sassafras Samplers and on my own. I'm responsible for analyzing the results and formatting data so that it can be readily understood by our members, other users of the Sassafras River watershed, and government officials.
You can help me as your RIVERKEEPER . If you have a concern about the Sassafras River or observe any condition which may be degrading water quality, click on Report Pollution, call me on 410 708-3303 or send an email. Please provide as much specific information as you can — date, time, location, issue, photo — so I can follow up. I will report back to you on what I find.
I'm also SRA's lead researcher in the Sassafras Watershed Action Plan (SWAP).