Building Power, Advancing Justice
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As I reflect on our work, I am struck by the profound growth, tenacity, and bold action that have defined Bayou City Waterkeeper’s journey. This has been a time of both scaling up and grounding our work—investing in the relationships, infrastructure, and strategies needed to pivot, influence, and enact meaningful change across Greater Houston’s watersheds.
We have been guided by a simple but powerful truth: water connects us all. This is evident in our approach to protecting the waters that sustain our ecosystems while also amplifying the voices of communities most impacted by pollution, flooding, and climate change.
In 2024, we deepened our commitment to justice, conservation, and community power in transformative ways. Notable milestones include launching community engagement efforts in our Water Justice Zones, hosting wetland walks and education, establishing a community advisory group, and embedding language justice throughout our organization. Through our legal work, we expanded our capacity to address industrial risks, environmental injustices, and regulatory accountability, ensuring our work speaks truth to power with clarity and courage.
Our leadership in coalitions like Surge Forward, Healthy Port Communities Coalition, Texas Living Waters, and nationally, the Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus has elevated our influence at local, state, and national levels. We also launched our first policy agenda, putting forth demands that drive legislative and policy-making processes.
As we prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead, Bayou City Waterkeeper is poised to take even bolder action. This work is not easy, but last year, we built a foundation to meet this moment. We will continue to build on the foundation laid in 2024, advancing systemic change through legal advocacy, policy innovation, and community-driven organizing.
With your support, we can leverage water as a catalyst for broader change.
For our waters and communities,
Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud
Executive Director, Bayou City Waterkeeper
P.S. Are you interested in supporting our work through a grant or donation? Book time with me to learn more about our projects, impact, and funding opportunities.
Advancing Strategic Goals
The Mycelium Network. Image from BBC News, How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other
In 2024, Bayou City Waterkeeper (BCWK) made transformative strides across the Lower Galveston Bay watershed, fulfilling the five pillars of its 2022-2025 strategic plan. The organization demonstrated its commitment to justice and resilience by centering community voices, advancing equitable policies, integrating justice and science, and fostering narrative change. Highlights of our strategic growth include:
1) Strengthening Organizational Capacity:
In 2024, BCWK expanded its team to 11 full-time staff, scaling programs to meet growing regional demands. This growth enabled deeper community engagement, enhanced legal advocacy, and broader policy influence, reinforcing BCWK’s capacity to respond to environmental and social challenges effectively.
2) Community Science:
BCWK enhanced its data-to-action frameworks, integrating community experiences with scientific research. Initiatives like the Justice in the Sewers Map and wetlands walks empowered residents to advocate for sewage justice and wetland preservation, turning data into actionable insights.
3) Policy and Legal Advocacy:
BCWK established its first policy team, leading advocacy at local, state, and federal levels. The launch of BCWK’s inaugural policy agenda prioritized equitable stormwater management and industrial accountability, elevating community concerns in policy discussions. BCWK’s legal team expanded its capacity to address industrial pollution, sewage injustices, and the risks of oil and gas developments. Through strategic litigation and a community lawyering model, BCWK held polluters accountable and influenced systemic policy reforms.
4) Cross-functional Collaboration:
BCWK fostered cross-disciplinary partnerships to address key environmental challenges, including sewage advocacy, coastal resilience, wetland protection, and industrial risk mitigation. Collaborative efforts bridged science, law, and community voices, amplifying the impact of BCWK’s work across the region.
5) Community Organizing:
The newly formed organizing team advanced direct response initiatives and launched the Community Resources and Advocacy Network (CRANe). BCWK developed tools like a resource hub and zines, strengthening language justice efforts and expanding access to advocacy resources.
By the Numbers
Community partners have praised BCWK’s ability to integrate legal, scientific, and policy expertise, describing it as a vital bridge between communities and state or national advocacy efforts.
Organizational Growth
Budget, Staff, and Funding Growth
Centering Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI)
Through our first Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Plan, we are guided by the following principles:
Justice, equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion are fundamental values that require continuous examination
and action.
Our work is informed by intersectionality, rooted in the belief that all people must be treated with dignity and that no community is disposable.
We aim to dismantle the legacies of colonialism, redlining, and systemic racism that have contributed to environmental injustices in our watershed.
BCWK currently employs eleven full-time staff members. The racial backgrounds of staff are Black (2), Latine/Hispanic and non-Black (3), Asian (3), and White (2). The racial backgrounds of our board are Black (2), Indigenous (1), Latine/Hispanic and non-Black (2), Asian (1), and White (3).
“Bayou City Waterkeeper serves as the only organization in our region that bridges the critical intersection of water justice, environmental conservation, and equity across the entire Lower Galveston Bay Watershed. Through innovative policy work, grassroots organizing, and legal advocacy, we safeguard both coastal communities and historically underserved urban communities that have long borne the disproportionate burden of water pollution, flooding, and climate change. Our unique water-centered perspective brings transformative approaches to complex challenges, ensuring that no community, upstream or downstream, is left vulnerable as we build a more resilient and just future for all residents of our watershed.”
– Jolea Payne
Chair of the BCWK Board of Directors