The Official Blog of Alabama Water Watch
A standard is something we can compare water quality data to in order to determine if the quality of that water is good or bad. If water quality data results consistently fail to meet the standards, there may be a chronic problem with water quality that poses a potential threat to human and aquatic health, potentially leading to the water body being listed on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) 303(d) List of Impaired Waters.
The Alabama Water Watch Program has reached a monumental moment:
The AWW Database now contains 100,000 water quality data records!
This would not be possible without the dedication of our statewide network of volunteer citizen water quality monitors, past and present.
Many thanks to each and every one of you who collected and sent 1, 100, or 1,000+ data records.
Are you an educator, or do you know of an educator who would like to engage your students with citizen science and watershed stewardship? After a one year postponement, we are excited to announce that we are currently recruiting educators from coastal counties to help us pilot the new 4-H AWW Project “Exploring Pathogen Pollution in Our Waters.”
Continue reading “4-H Alabama Water Watch Project: Exploring Pathogen Pollution in Our Waters”Travel down rivers through time to encounter the rich human history and natural wonders that have defined Alabama. Along the way, we will celebrate an array of magnificent rivers filled with unique plants and animals, shaped over the ages by a remarkably diverse geology. Accept the challenge to restore and protect our rivers for their economic, cultural, and ecological benefits, but most of all because it is the right thing to do.
Join Dr. Bill Deutsch and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Auburn University as they journey through Rivers of Alabama, a 7-week Zoom course that will allow participants to explore the wonders and mysteries of Alabama’s Rivers.
ATTENTION BACTERIOLOGICAL MONITORS!!
Micrology Labs has changed their address and phone number. Please see the update from them below.
What are the Alabama Fish Consumption Advisories?
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) sample fish in Alabama’s rivers, streams, and lakes, to compile the Annual Alabama Fish Consumption Advisory. Fish Consumption Advisories provide information and recommendations about eating fish from Alabama rivers and lakes that may be contaminated. This information enables people to make more informed choices about the types of fish they eat, and how much to consume.
You can view the full advisory document on the ADPH website: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/tox/assets/al-fish-advisory-2020.pdf
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is an online and mobile app hosted by National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences to allow users to submit observations of and identify organisms.
The AWW family mourns the loss of Marty Schulman: AWW monitor extraordinaire, mentor, celebrated naturalist, biodiversity warrior, and friend.
Marty volunteered with AWW and many other environmentally focused organizations including Ruffner Mountain and the Alabama Rivers Alliance. Besides monitoring our waters, he took the time to educate others, especially young people, to get involved with local watershed stewardship efforts.
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that states assess surface waters and compile a list of those that have become polluted to the point that they no longer support their Use Classification (e.g., Fish & Wildlife, Public Water Supply, Swimming & Whole-Body Contact, etc.). This list of impaired waters is known as the 303(d) List.
Continue reading “What is the 303(d) List of Impaired Waters?”