Katherine Baer
Senior Director, Clean Water and Water Supply Programs
Department: Conservation
Area of Focus: Katherine leads federal clean water policy work to reduce sewage spills and polluted stormwater runoff and to increase green infrastructure.
Background: Katherine joined American Rivers in 2005. Prior to that she worked as a policy analyst for the legal think tank the Center for Progressive Reform, and as Director of Headwaters Conservation for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in Georgia.
Education: B.A. in Environmental Studies from Stanford University, M.S. in Conservation Ecology from the University of Georgia, and J.D. from the University of Maryland
Favorite River: Chattahoochee River
Blog Posts By This Author
Clean Water At The Supreme Court
December 12, 2012 | Water Pollution, Urban Rivers
I was really excited to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court last Tuesday as there was a clean water case on the docket. The oral argument session over Los Angeles County Flood Control District v. Natural Resources Defense Council was unique in that when each side answers the question posed, they agree.
Read more »Urban Rivers: Managing Clean Water In The City
December 5, 2012 | Urban Rivers, Stormwater & Sewage
I’ll never forget the moment I watched, astonished, a tall man nonchalantly wad up his burger wrapper, step into the street, and toss it directly into the storm drain that led to the Chattahoochee River. How could he not know that streams in our cities are often right beneath us, hidden and buried away, but still leading to our creeks and eventually our rivers?
Read more »Thankful for the Postcard Underground
November 23, 2012 | Water Pollution
Remember how great it was to get a letter in the mail back in the day when people wrote letters? Well, imagine my great surprise when I received not one, but a stack of postcards in the mail addressed to me at American Rivers a couple of weeks ago. And the strange thing – I don’t know who wrote them, but every single one put a smile on my face.
Read more »Celebrating Clean Water Through The Generations
October 18, 2012
Today is the 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and over the last several weeks we’ve taken the time to post some stories by our staff and friends about how the Clean Water Act and clean water has made a difference in their lives. I’ve been inspired and couldn’t help smiling when reading about the all connections people have with clean rivers and streams.
Read more »The Clean Water Act through the Generations: Generation X Series, Pt. 3
October 16, 2012 | Water Pollution
I’ll never forget the moment as I watched, mouth hanging open, as a tall man nonchalantly wadded up his burger wrapper, stepped into the street, and tossed it directly into a storm drain that led right to the Chattahoochee River. How could he not know that streams in our cities are often right beneath us, hidden and buried away, but still leading to our creeks and eventually our rivers?
Read more »