A rock jetty on the Narragansett Bay in North Kingston, Rhode Island

They may not be the Great Lakes, but stewards of bodies of fresh and salt water in the United States are joining together to form America’s Great Waters Coalition. Recently Narragansett Bay and other southern New England waterways joined the advocacy organization, which looks to improve the water quality of its members among other goals. The organization came to be after funding for water issues across the country started to disappear amidst the financial crisis.

So far, there are 19 members across 35 different states. Organizers looked to the Great Lakes for inspiration, given that Congress set aside $475 billion for restoration and conservation of the five Great Lakes. Working as a coalition seems to be the way to go, given the success of the Great Lakes. The money won’t be easy; as one study suggested a $3 billion investment would be required for a healthy ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine. Still, the group has argued for dozens of restoration measures and other water projects before Congress, as well as worked on court briefs for water issues that ended up before state and federal courts.

Peter Alexender, director of the Northeast Great Water Coalition pointed out that if there are not enough programs and funding to support water quality and habitat restoration, there could be “dramatic economic costs.” Once again, it is being said that environmental issues, if not dealt with effectively, can have harsh economic consequences. Something that should always be kept in mind when considering any environmental issue.