The following awards were presented to AWW Groups and Monitors at the 2013 AWW Get-Together on Friday, May 10th, 2013:
2013 River Basin Award: Chattahoochee Basin
Alabama 4-H Dives into Clean Water
Most of us feel it is also our responsibility to instill an appreciation and respect for the environment in the children and youth of our communities. This is accomplished first by setting a good example for them, and also by providing them with opportunities to gain knowledge and an understanding of the way the natural world works.
Coast Guard presents Certificate of Appreciation to AWW
Michael Freeman, U.S Coast Guard Flotilla Commander posted at Auburn University, presented AWW Program Director, Bill Deutsch and the AWW staff with an official Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Coast Guard on Feb.20, 2013, thanking AWW for their many years of service to the State of Alabama ‘in the protection of the State’s most valuable natural resource.’
Click Here to view the U.S. Coast Guard Letter presented to AWW
Power in Numbers
Dr. Bill Deutsch, AWW Director
Almost four years ago, I joined thousands of volunteers across the U.S. who monitor precipitation through a group called the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS, at www.cocorahs.org). Similar to our AWW network of monitors, we all use standardized equipment, similar sampling protocols and have an online database to enter, analyze, store and share the data. I ritually check my rain gage at 7 am most days and report the information online under my unique site code: AL-LE-7. You can see daily precipitation data for Alabama or by county via their website that includes my “data dot” on the map in west Lee County (color coded for precipitation amounts).
AWW in 2012 Watershed Center of Excellence Report
AWW accomplishments in 2012, though far from record-setting, were stable relative to the previous year in spite of limited funding for the program. AWW’s efforts date back to 1992, when ADEM provided funding to the AU Department of Fisheries for the establishment of a statewide volunteer monitoring program. Early accomplishments focused on compilation of science-based protocols for monitoring water quality that were doable by citizen volunteer monitors and rigorous enough to yield credible water data. Program Director, Bill Deutsch, had the foresight to go the extra mile and put forth considerable effort to compile and submit quality assurance plans for AWW water monitoring protocols to the EPA. The end results are EPA-approved water monitoring protocols used by all AWW-certified monitors throughout Alabama, and more importantly, the generation of credible water data that is being used in a myriad of applications, from formal and informal education, to waterbody protection and restoration, to improvements in local and statewide water management and policy.
Continue reading “AWW in 2012 Watershed Center of Excellence Report”
Data to Action Southern Style
AWW was recently featured in River Network’s newsletter, River Voices, with an article titled ‘Volunteer Monitoring Data: Data to Action Southern Style’.
Click here for article
Auburn’s Environmental Awareness Organization supports Alabama Water Watch in a big way
Auburn University is fortunate to have a dedicated group of student environmentalists on campus who make up the Environmental Awareness Organization (EAO). EAO members have regular meetings which usually involve a special activity or speaker meant to enrich their knowledge of environmental issues. Although the group is small they manage to support many environmental initiatives around Auburn including game-day recycling, the Green Living Workshop, the Recycled Art Workshop, and Earth Fest.
Each year local bands, vendors, and other environmental organizations set up stage in the Donald E. Davis Arboretum on Auburn University’s campus for an all day event called EarthFest, which is open to the public. Not only is EarthFest an opportunity for folks to celebrate Earth Day, it’s an opportunity for environmental organizations to promote their causes, and a fundraiser for EAO. This year’s EarthFest was a huge success!
AWW Display at 2012 EarthFest
Throughout the years many members of the EAO have become AWW water monitors, and have monitored sites throughout the Auburn area. They understand the mission of AWW and feel that it is an important organization for Alabama. As a gesture of their support to AWW, EAO decided to donate portion of their EarthFest proceeds to AWW. On April 25th, EAO members presented AWW with a check for $500!
AWW is very appreciative of this generous gift! This donation will allow new monitors to be certified through AWW workshops, and will provide chemicals to active monitors so that they can continue to collect valuable water data. This group of young, dedicated, and giving individuals should be an inspiration to us all and a glimpse of what the future of Alabama’s environmental movement can be. Thanks again EAO!
For more information or to become a member of the Environmental Awareness Organization visit http://auburneao.weebly.com/.
Water Watching inspires a Sumter Eagle to soar!
Lexie Larkin is a 15-year old ninth grader at Sumter Academy in York, Alabama. She loves sports, especially volleyball, basketball and softball. Unfortunately, she suffered two knee injuries with two accompanying knee surgeries that influenced her to pursue other interests.
Lexie’s uncle Bill Peters and aunt Flo live on Fogle Lake near Alabaster, Alabama. Bill and Flo have been certified as Alabama Water Watch (AWW) water monitors, and have monitored the lake for over two years. Bill is also in the process of becoming an AWW trainer so that he can train others to monitor. During her visits to the lake, Bill and Flo got Lexie interested in water monitoring, and taught her how to do the various water chemistry tests. The standard AWW kit, manufactured by LaMotte, measures six parameters: temperature, pH, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity and dissolved oxygen.
Lexie conducting pH test under her Uncle Bill’s watchful eye
Continue reading “Water Watching inspires a Sumter Eagle to soar!”
Alabama Water Watch and Alabama Gives Day
Many of you participated in the first annual Alabama Gives Day on February 2, 2012, by donating to Alabama Water Watch and/or by encouraging others to do so (go to www.alabamagivesday.org to learn more). Thanks to you over $1300 were raised for the AWW Association who funds workshops, chemical replacements for active volunteers, and other important services provided by AWW. The AWW Association is a membership based non-profit organization that enables citizens to contribute their experiences, services, membership dues and gifts to ensure that AWW will continue to educate, train, and empower citizens through community-based watershed stewardship for years to come.
If you didn’t have a chance to give on Alabama Gives Day, don’t worry, you can become a membership or make a gift to AWW 365 days a year by visiting the “Support AWW” button on the AWW homepage (www.alabamawaterwatch.org) or by sending a membership form and check to:
Alabama Water Watch Association
P.o. Box 3294
Auburn, AL 36830
AWW Citizen Trainers – Essential to AWW!
When Alabama Water Watch was just getting started back in 1992, it operated quite differently than it does today. Bill Deutsch, AWW Director, has been in the picture since the beginning and remembers that first year of Water Watch as exciting but exhausting. People throughout Alabama were interested and enthusiastic about the possibilities of the statewide Water Quality Monitoring Program and as a result there was a great demand for the AWW workshops. At the time AWW only offered the Chemistry Water Monitoring Certification, and there were no citizen trainers. As a result Bill and co-founder Dr. Bill Davies (BD² as Bill and Bill were called back then) were on the road for 20 weekends per year!
