Rick Dove, first Neuse Riverkeeper, has died

NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) - A man who helped shape Eastern Carolina coastal waters has passed away.

Rick Dove was the first Neuse Riverkeeper, and years later helped found the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Dove died this past Friday.

The retired Marine was riverkeeper from 1993 to 2000, then was the southeastern representative for the Waterkeeper Alliance from 2000 to 2005.

Dove then became a senior advisor and special projects consultant for the organization.

“Rick’s wisdom was steady and constant, always just a phone call away. He taught not with words alone but through powerful example,” said Lisa Rider, executive director of Coastal Carolina Riverwatch. “From the cockpit of a small plane, circling above fields and rivers to reveal the scars of pollution, to being on the water beside volunteer