Alabama Flash Drought
UPDATE: SE Drought is Slowly Receding (more info below)
What is a “Flash” Drought?
A flash drought is the rapid onset of drought. While conventional drought is mainly driven by a lack of precipitation, flash drought is often caused by a combination of abnormally high temperatures, winds, and/or incoming radiation that leads to abnormally high evapotranspiration rates (read more). After enduring one of the hottest and driest Septembers on record, Alabama and the vast majority of the Southeast are currently in flash drought conditions.
Continue reading “Alabama Flash Drought”Ordering Water Chemistry Monitoring Supplies
To order:
Alabama Water Quality Monitoring Kit catalog No. 9844-02
$307.00*
Alabama Water Quality Monitoring Kit with Secchi Disk catalog No. 9845-02
$473.20*
Refill – Alabama Water Quality Monitoring Kit, catalog No. R-9844-01
$117.87*
Contact:
LaMotte Company
P.O. Box 329
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: 800-344-3100 or 410-778-3100
Fax: 410-778-6394
LaMotte Website
To order: Salinity Refractometer – for Coastal Groups (1.000/1.070), catalog No. SR5-AQ
$51.20*
Contact:
Pentair
844-347-4788
Pentair Website
To order: Remote Sampler – for deep water sampling, bridge crossings, docks, etc.
$100 (not including shipping)
Contact:
Alabama Water Watch
334-844-4785
awwprog@auburn.edu
The AWW Water Chemistry Kit can be found here on LaMotte’s Environmental Education Partnership Programs webpage.
Call LaMotte Company’s Customer Service department at 1-800-344-3100 to place your orders. LaMotte does not have an online purchasing option. The hours of operation are 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday.
When placing an order – ALWAYS stress that you are ordering items for the Alabama Water Watch Program.
Payment for your order may be by MasterCard, VISA or American Express to speed order processing. Orders are shipped via UPS surface from Chestertown, MD.
Organizations and non-profits may apply for net 30 day open account terms, but are required to provide trade references and a bank reference. Customer Service can send you the appropriate forms upon request.
LaMotte Company will accept purchase orders from school systems and local, state, and federal agencies. Purchase orders may be faxed to 1-410-778-6394. Please ask for an Order Acknowledgement to confirm your order.
Expert View: Toxic Algal Blooms
UPDATE: Free stakeholder meeting during 10th US Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) symposium on November 6th. (More info below)
Dr. Alan Wilson is a professor in Auburn University’s School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences in the College of Agriculture. Dr. Wilson has offered his thoughts on recent news stories of pet deaths related to poor water quality, specifically freshwater algal blooms.
AWW Annual Meeting Awards
We would like to thank everyone who attended the 2019 Alabama Water Watch Annual Meeting on June 22, 2019. As always, it was a pleasure to be able to catch up and chat with each of you about the great work you’ve been doing. Below, you will find a quick recap of the groups of individuals awarded honors for their exemplary work this year.
Alabama Rivers Educator Workshops
This summer, AWW launched a brand-new curriculum and set of educator workshops focused on the book, Alabama Rivers: A Celebration & Challenge, by former AWW Director, Dr. Bill Deutsch. The project was made possible with special funding from the Alabama Bicentennial Commission (Alabama 200), support of the Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Alkalinity Tablets Packaging Change
There has been a change in the packaging of the BCG-MR Indicator Tablets (order code T-2311-J). The tablets for the Total Alkalinity test are now being packaged in blister packs (as seen below) rather than in a glass bottle. The order code for the tablets has also slightly changed, to T-2311-A.
The change is intended to extend the shelf life and prevent tablets from breaking apart due to moisture.
LaMotte Changes & Updates
3/29/2019 Update:
Hardness Reagent #6 and Alkalinity Tablets Packaging Change
The tablet formulas and procedures for the Total Alkalinity Test and Total Hardness Test remain the same.
From LaMotte: There has been a change in the packaging of the Hardness Reagent #6 Tablets. Hardness #6 Tablets (4484A) are now being packaged in blister packs (as seen below) rather than in a glass bottle.
BCG-MR Indicator Tablets (order code T-2311-J) are also now being packaged in blister packs. The order code for the tablets has also slightly changed, to T-2311-A.
The change is intended to extend the shelf life and prevent tablets from breaking apart due to moisture.
The box the blister packs come in (see pictures above) can fit into AWW Kits if laid on their side and placed on top of the turbidity tubes (right photo below).
We recommend that you take out one set of 10 tablets (pictured left, below), label them for the test they are used for (Hardness or Alkalinity) and place them in your kit.
AWW on the Road: Dog River Tour
On Oct. 16, AWW Staffers Mona and Sydney had the pleasure of touring the Dog River Watershed with the best tour guides anyone could ask for – Debi Foster, Executive Director of Dog River Clearwater Revival (DRCR), Dr. Mimi Fearn, long time AWW monitor and trainer and member of DRCR, and Eric Holladay, a dedicated AWW monitor and member of DRCR.
Change in Size and Packaging of Indicator Tablets for Total Alkalinity Test
LaMotte has recently made a change in the size and packaging of the BCG-MR Indicator Tablets (order code T-2311-J).
Both bottle and tablets are now larger (see images below); however, the tablet formula and the procedure for the Total Alkalinity Test remain the same.