On Thursday, September 28, 2023, Waterkeepers Chesapeake will host our 7th Annual In Defense of Water Awards and Reception at Patagonia Baltimore. With you, we’ll celebrate our clean water successes and honor our Waterkeepers and community members for their outstanding achievements in advancing water and climate justice.

Special Guest Speaker: EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz

We are thrilled to award our 2023 Waterkeeper Outstanding Win (WOW) Award to Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Ted Evgeniadis. As a partner with Waterkeepers Chesapeake on joint litigation around the relicensing of Conowingo Dam, Ted has been a relentless force for cleaner water, pursuing a fair federal license that led to the historic appeals court decision in December 2022 vacating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) dam license and remanding it back to FERC. In addition, Ted has had a string of clean water victories on coal ash, sewage overflows, and PFAS contamination, while also serving as Executive Director of the growing Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and as a Board Member of Waterkeepers Chesapeake for the past 6 years.

We are honored to recognize Richard Dolesh with our 2023 Water Warrior Award. Nominated by Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman, Richard Dolesh has made significant and long-lasting contributions to the protection and restoration of the Patuxent River watershed and its communities. Fred describes Richard as “a perennial volunteer, known by nearly everybody in the Patuxent conservation community, but so modest that recognition for his contributions is long overdue.” Read more about Ted and Richard here.

** Early bird ticket price ends Friday, September 8 ** All attendees receive a raffle ticket **