Keeper of the water

Pollution and other environmental degradation, both intentional and unintentional, are often a matter of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

For more than a year, Cyrus Buffum has been working to make the Lowcountry see better and know more in terms of its waterways.

The 25-year-old College of Charleston physics grad has been busy launching his one-man Charleston Waterkeeper organization: securing a charter from the 186-group Waterkeeper Alliance last fall; organizing beach cleanups; backing local efforts to remove abandoned boats from creeks and rivers; forming relationships with other water-oriented environmental stewards; making regular patrols; and raising money.

"I hadn't left town in eight months," notes Buffum of his busy schedule after returning from a friend's wedding in New York last week.

On the fundraising front, Ocean Sailing Academy and Aquasafaris are organizing a Summer Sailstice Flotilla and

Harbor Tour 6-9 p.m. Sunday at the Charleston Harbor Marina to help raise money for Buffum's work. He adds it's the first major event held for the organization and it suits him by helping to "glorify these waterways."

Waterkeepers typically are independent environmental watchdogs looking for anyone who is fouling the nation's waterways, reporting it to appropriate authorities and, if necessary, pursuing legal action to stop or mitigate pollution.

Anne Goold, the sailing academy's marketing director, got to know Buffum in recent years because he was a sailing instructor and thinks he will serve an important role on area rivers, creeks and inlets.

"Cyrus has an outstanding ability to communicate intuitively with people of every background. He is driven to perfection, and is, in my opinion, among the best spokesmen for water quality the area has," she says.

The seeds of Charleston Waterkeeper were sown during a two-month trip Buffum took to Zimbabwe.

"I came back with a passion to pursue community activism, but at the same time involve my background in science and my interest in being on the water," recalls Buffum. "I basically stumbled upon Waterkeeper Alliance after reading the book 'The Riverkeepers' by John Cronin and (Robert) Kennedy Jr."

Buffum adds, "Being a waterkeeper was everything I was looking to combine under one roof."

In the winter of 2008, he began working on a proposal for Charleston Waterkeeper's charter. In September, the alliance convened and approved it.

Starting a nonprofit basically from scratch can seem like a slow process, but his work is already yielding results.

A beach cleanup he organized on Folly Beach brought him in touch with the Criscuolo family of James Island, who donated a small boat for his patrols.

He's formed strong working relationships with conservation groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and the Sustainability Institute, which will partner with Charleston Waterkeeper to put on "Charleston Water Week" July 6-12. (See www.sustainabilityinstitutesc.org/H2O for more.)

His proactive work dovetails with its reactive counterpart.

Even though he's only managed to perform about one patrol a week, he follows up on eyewitness accounts of suspicious activities and keeps his eyes out for it.

Two weeks ago, for example, he was on his way to talk to some students and saw a vacuum truck discharging liquids onto a road, leading to a drain and nearby marsh. He took pictures, identified the truck and is checking into the issue.

After reporting an incident, usually to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, he will call them to see if any action has been taken.

So far, he doesn't make any money from his patrols.

"I haven't made any money yet, but that's a personal and administrative choice right now. A lot of times it includes filing lawsuits. That takes time and resources that I don't have right now."

The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and the Clean Water Act of 1972 offer guidelines and incentives for watchdogs and bounty hunters, but they differ in approaches. The Clean Water Act tends to involve more bureaucracy and specifics.

While Buffum doesn't know of any bounty hunters in Charleston, he also acknowledges that they may be out there and he just doesn't know about them yet. He knows he is just getting started.

Eventually, he hopes to be on the water five to seven days a week and be able to live on the water.

"It would be incredible to grow this organization to that point," he adds.

Reach David Quick at 937- 5516 or dquick@postand courier.com.