Good question, Mr. Lorax! A group of fourteen enthusiastic citizen volunteers joined AWW staffers, Sergio Ruiz –Córdova and Mona Dominguez, to participate in an Exploring Our Living Steams workshop for an answer. The two-day workshop was conducted at New Site, AL, organized and sponsored by Sabrina Wood, Alabama Clean Water Partnership Facilitator for the Tallapoosa Basin. Folks came from Alexander City, Jackson’s Gap, Dadeville, Eclectic, Wedowee, Montgomery, Rockford, Auburn and Daviston to learn about Alabama’s streams. Continue reading “Who speaks for the streams?”
It was a bitter-sweet day last Tuesday when we gathered downstairs here in the CASIC Building for the retirement celebration of our director, Dr. Sam Fowler.
We hope that you enjoy the following article that one of our faithful AWW water monitors sent to us last week. Marty Schulman, water monitor extraordinaire, has been employing his monitoring talents in the protection of one of the most endangered fish species in Alabama, and for that matter, in the United States! Marty was the recipient of the coveted 2015 Alabama Rivers Alliance James Lowery Service Award (an expansion of the ARA Volunteer of the Year Award) for his service as an Alabama Water Watch monitor on behalf of US Fish and Wildlife Service at three of the five known habitats of the endangered watercress darter that exist worldwide.
The beloved watercress darter is indigenous to Alabama, and is now limited to a few springs and spring runs (four natural areas, and one where the darter was introduced) in the Birmingham area. Though small in size (measuring to about 2.5 inches in maximum length), this darter rivals tropical reef fish in beauty and coloration (see picture below).
Male watercress darter trying to impress his girlfriend. Credit: USFWS (source: http://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2010/r10-045.html)
After being trained and certified as an AWW monitor, Marty has been faithfully monitoring water quality at darter habitats in the Birmingham area since 2008. He and fellow members of the Watercress Darter Monitoring Program water monitoring group, have conducted 255 water sampling events and submitted their data to AWW’s online database. Some of the data records from Roebuck Springs, one of the remaining habitats of the watercress darter, are shown below.Continue reading “For the love of the darter”
On April 1st, 2015 the 15-yr old FrontPage server that hosts the AWW Online Database will be turned off forever. But don’t despair – our database gurus, Jim Johnson and Sergio (below), have worked countless long hours and late nights over the past 12 months to update and transfer the AWW database to a newer-faster-better server!
AWW database gurus, Jim Johnson and Sergio, working into the wee hours
The staff of Alabama Water Watch was saddened by the news of Jerald Conway’s death in late 2014. Jerald worked at the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board for 38 years and was the Director of Environmental Services there.
With the assistance of AWW volunteer monitors from Lake Watch of Lake Martin and Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, AWW completed a bacteriological study of public swim beaches on the two lakes last fall. Along with information about the levels of bacteria found in the water and in the sand/sediment below the water, the Lake Watch folks worked closely with the good folks at Wind Creek State Park and established the first Swim Guide site on Lake Martin. Continue reading “There’s an app for that!”
by Ashley Campbell, CPESC, Environmental Program’s Manager, City of Daphne
The City Daphne is an ADEM permitted Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). As part of the City’s implementation of its Stormwater Management Program Plan, the City purchased water test kits to introduce citizens to volunteer water monitoring.
Youth Leadership Program environmental field trip with local high schools – the City provided a safe location and AWW test kits for the outing.
It is impossible to talk with teacher and 4-H Club Sponsor, Christina Turner without getting excited about the limitless possibilities we have as adults to make a difference in kids’ lives. Click here for ‘the rest of the story.’
Christina and friends getting trained in AWW water chemistry monitoring protocols in Huntsville in September 2013
Many smaller cities and communities in Alabama may have been wailing and gnashing their teeth back a few years ago after the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) released its General Phase II MS4 Stormwater Permit requirements. As part of these requirements, smaller communities had to develop a stormwater management program to prevent pollutants in stormwater from flushing into their stormwater sewers and local streams. The program had to include drafting a stormwater management plan, implementing a stormwater monitoring program, conducting a stormwater/nonpoint source pollution outreach program, and submitting an annual stormwater report to ADEM. The merits of government regulations can be debated, but the fact is, the Phase II requirements are here to stay, and small communities started searching for efficient ways to meet the Phase II requirements from ADEM.
Lisa Pippin-Hall measuring hardness in a stream near Smiths Station
By: Eric Reutebuch
