John Garver
John Garver is a PhD geologist and recently retired Professor of Geology at Union College in Schenectady, NY. The Mohawk River is the primary focal point both in his research and his advocacy work. His research in the Mohawk watershed is directed at understanding hydrology, sediment budget, and climate change in the watershed.
John initiated and has co-organized the Mohawk Watershed Symposium since its inception in 2009. The symposium, with his orchestration, has been a powerful tool for highlighting and building support for new policy initiatives, including the NYS DEC’s Mohawk Basin Program. Through the establishment of the Mohawk Watershed Symposium, he has helped bridge the gap between academic research and practical watershed management. His leadership has transformed the Mohawk from an understudied river system into one governed by an emerging scientific and policy framework.
He has focused on the fact that the Mohawk River is a vital shared resource, and as such we are responsible for ensuring its ecological health and water quality in an era of dramatic climate change. His work on beavers and beaver dam density underscores the importance of nature-based solutions in climate adaptation.
He has been a member of the Governor's Reimagine the Canals task force focused on “examining how the Erie Canal system could be reimagined for the 21st century,” a platform he has used to advocate for such shared Riverkeeper priorities as an invasive species barrier to prevent future introductions of harmful species.
He has also been a strong advocate for water quality in the Mohawk, including through recent investigations of sewage leaks and aging water infrastructure, road salt contamination in surface streams and aquifers, and PFAS in surface streams and municipal water supplies. John also publishes ‘Notes from a Watershed’, an active newsletter on contemporary issues in the Mohawk.