Watching over the waters with the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper

Stretching 444 miles from New York through Pennsylvania and into Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay the Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. 

And while it served generations as fertile hunting and fishing grounds and trade and transportation routes, it took American industries a couple hundred or so years to nearly destroy it. Like always, it took a dedicated group of people to speak up and make changes that would save the river. 

One of the voices speaking on behalf of the river belongs to the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper—an advocate, a watchdog and a tireless defender of one of the most important watersheds in the United States.

The volunteer organization protects and promotes the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and the aquatic ecosystem it supports across an 11,000-square-mile watershed defined by the North and West branches of the river. 

Their passion for clean water and public engagement is reshaping how communities interact with their local waterways. 

What sets the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper apart isn’t just advocacy—it’s education. Their floating classroom program, citizen science initiatives, and water quality monitoring efforts are all about empowering people to become stewards of their environment. Because protecting a river starts with understanding it.

The Susquehanna River faces a number of continued threats; from outdated infrastructure and agricultural runoff to industrial discharges and invasive species. These aren't distant, abstract problems—they're real challenges that affect real people. 

And the Riverkeeper are on the frontlines, combining data, public pressure and policy to push for meaningful change. But this work isn’t all warnings and water samples. It's also about joy—about reconnecting people with their rivers, creeks and lakes. 

On this episode, I speak with John Zaktansky. John is the executive director of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper. 

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Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis