In January 2005, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) in Atlanta, Georgia started a project called Get the Dirt Out (GTDO) to study the effectiveness of Georgia's erosion control program.  UCR, along with partner GTDO groups, provided training workshops and educational materials designed for citizens, developers, and local governments on the Georgia Construction General Permit.  A successful two year project, GTDO held 30 workshops, trained over 500 state-wide participants, and visited more than 100 construction sites documenting compliance and logging complaints. 

Dean Naujoks, then the Upper Neuse Riverkeeper and currently Yadkin Riverkeeper, attended one of the workshops and realized how a project like GTDO would be extremely beneficial in North Carolina.  Thus, MWW came to be, borrowing the main ideas from GTDO and altering them to be in compliance with North Carolina laws and regulations. 

Now Muddy Water Watch is expanding to protect more and more waters around the country.