With generous support from Lindblad – National Geographic Fund, the Inside Passage Waterkeeper initiated its Water is Life project in September of 2014. The mission was pretty straight forward: collect stories from everyday Southeast Alaskans about the role clean water plays in their lives, and share those stories widely.

The results were nothing less than amazing. During a fall trip to Wrangell, Petersburg, and Telegraph Creek, our team attracted folks from all walks of life, all of whom took the time to share their personal stories of clean water, of lifeblood, of livelihood, and of reverence. We were offered fish and moose meat, invited into people's homes and places of worship, and even made a few appearances in local media.

In short, the lesson we learned was simple yet profound: Clean water is mainstream. Clean water is life.

Meet our Faces of Clean Water.

The Stikine River

"To try to put a measure on why [it's] so important is hard to do, except that it is what this community is. It is what has allowed us to stay." -Petersburg resident Karin McCullough

Providing clean water and healthy habitat for Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon, as well as steelhead trout, ooligan, Dungeness crab, and moose, the Stikine River is the heritage, the livelihood, and the future of thousands of Alaskans.

Check out our new video showing how the clean, rich waters of the Stikine feed the communities of Telegraph, Wrangell, and Petersburg.  We'll tour our video throughout Southeast in 2015, stopping in Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Craig, Kasaan, Haines, Yakutat, and Juneau.