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 Chattahoochee River is the 11th largest river in the U.S.
It begins as a small spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Helen, Georgia and flows south for 434 miles through Georgia and Alabama until it joins the Flint River at Lake Seminole to form the Apalachicola River which ultimately drains into the Apalachicola Bay in Florida.
This article will provide an overview of all of the variables tested by certified Alabama Water Watch volunteer monitors, what the data mean. To know whether or not the data indicate water quality issues, it is necessary to have some understanding of Water Quality Standards, so we’ve briefly explained Water Quality Standards for Alabama. The information included could be helpful for interested volunteers who are trying to get started as monitors, people who want to learn more about water quality in their watershed, or certified volunteers who are reviewing the data at their sites.
Continue reading “Overview of Variables Tested by Alabama Water Watch Volunteers”The Coosa River is shared between Alabama and Georgia, and begins at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah Rivers in Rome, Georgia and runs for 280 miles before it joins the Alabama River northeast of Montgomery. The Coosa is one of Alabama’s most developed rivers due to the impoundments along the majority of the river’s main stem.
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.
The Cahaba River is perhaps the most famous major river in Alabama. The Cahaba’s main stem is 190 miles long and remains the longest free-flowing river remaining in Alabama. This absence of hydrological modifications along the main stem has aided in maintaining the unique aquatic biodiversity of the Cahaba. With that said, the Cahaba Basin also is unique in the number of aquatic species that are imperiled or declining in number.
When describing the Cahaba, it is easy to separate two distinct personalities of this River (the Upper and Lower) separated by the Fall Line, a geographic feature that divides Alabama into two distinct physical regions, the uplands and the lowlands. The Fall Line is considered the most significant physical feature in Alabama affecting the distribution of plants and animals and also represents the zone of contact between the hard rocks of the Appalachians and the softer sediments of the Coastal Plain.
Continue reading “All About the Cahaba River Basin”
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”The Black Warrior River Basin is the largest watershed wholly within Alabama’s state boundaries. The river’s principal forks, the Sipsey, Mulberry, and Locust, begin in North Alabama and converge to form the Black Warrior to the west of Birmingham at the Jefferson County, Walker County line.
If you need to come by our office, please call or email to make an appointment.
AWW is starting to offer in-person certification and recertification sessions in addition to the online and hybrid offerings that will be available soon. All in-person workshops will follow the health and safety guidelines set by Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
As soon as those opportunities are available, information will be provided on the AWW website and through email communications. If you are interested in being trained as a monitor, please complete the Workshop Interest Survey below and we will contact you when opportunities are available.
https://auburn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_af1oUBNMF0YIfJz
Please note that monitors in need of recertification have been given an extension of their certifications until they are able to attend a recertification session. They will be permitted to enter data. Options for recertification will be available in the coming weeks.
Current monitors can continue to monitor water as long as they abide by all safety guidelines and requirements. Each monitor has a unique situation related to where they monitor, and with whom they monitor. Please use the following resources to make the best decision for your situation, and don’t hesitate to contact AWW if in doubt.
Continue reading “AWW Office COVID-19 Update”