Brandon Jones

Protecting the Catawba-Wateree River basin is more than a job to Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones. As Riverkeeper, he focuses on threats to clean water, including monitoring and addressing coal ash issues & permitted pollution discharges, stormwater runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, and preventing waterborne diseases.

Jones received his M.S. in Earth Science from UNC Charlotte; his studies focused on hydrology, specifically water chemistry. He completed his undergraduate education at UNC Chapel Hill, graduating with a B.A. in Economics & a minor in Environmental Science. That’s where he found his calling in environmental protection. “I took an environmental law course as an undergraduate at Chapel Hill, which was my first introduction to environmental protection. After that class, I knew I wanted to work protecting water.”

Jones joined the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in 2017 as its director of technical programs before being promoted to Riverkeeper in November 2018. As Riverkeeper, Brandon is CRF’s chief scientist and advocate and is responsible for coordinating the organization’s testing, sampling, research, and legislative initiatives. He is also the primary contact for all citizen concerns. Jones is a Gaston County native who’s committed to the environment both inside and outside the office. He spends his free time on the water as an avid whitewater paddler and river guide, and on the trails playing disc golf.