Dr. Bill Deutsch provided a few other AWW Program Updates, the centerpiece of his talk being his announcement that he is stepping down as Director of the AWW Program after about 22 years. Bill officially retired from Auburn University last June, and received Research Fellow, Emeritus status with AU. He has continued to work part-time and serve as the leader of AWW which has been ever so helpful during this year of greatchanges. Bill will continue to work with AWW and GWW, but felt it was time to pass the baton of Director.
AWW Association Updates
The Alabama Water Watch Association, the 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and extending the impact of AWW, provided an update of recent activity. The highlight of these updates included an announcement of major changes to the AWWA membership policy for 2014 by Michael Freeman, Advisory Board Member of the AWWA. In an effort to update and build the AWWA membership database, all current monitors/donors and any monitors certified in the coming months will receive a free year of AWWA membership that will expire on June 30th, 2015. In the years to come, the AWW Annual Get-Together will be the time for annual membership campaign. Memberships will continue to be based on a rolling calendar, for instance if you join in November, your membership will be valid until the following November. In 2015, new, simpler donor levels and new benefits to AWWA members will be presented during the Annual Meeting.
Although membership will be offered at no charge for the coming year, this does not mean that AWW does not need support. If you have been a member or donor to AWWA in the past, thank you and please consider donating this year. AWWA provides important services like website maintenance, support of the Trainers Program, and other special initiatives that require extra funding. In the current fiscal year, the AWWA has received approximately $4,000 in memberships and donations. Let’s see if we end the year on September 30th with more than $5,000!
2014 AWW Awards
AWW recognized the following Award Winners for 2014.
Origin of the Alabama Water Resources Paradigm: How Did We Get Here?
by: eric reutebuch
Check out this informative and insightful article, Origin of the Alabama Water Resources Paradigm: How Did We Get Here?, in the latest issue of The WAVE (Summer 2014), the official publication of the Alabama Water Environment Association (AWEA). The article, written by, Bennett L. Bearden, J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., Special Counsel on Water Law and Policy, Alabama Water Agencies Working Group (AWAWG), chronicles the evolution of the current water policy paradigm in Alabama at the advent of the Governor’s release of the AWAWG report on April 17.
Origin of the Alabama Water Resources Paradigm: How Did We Get Here?
AWW teams up with GAA and the Forest Service to Protect Streams
by: eric reutebuch
Check out this article featured in the latest issue of Alabama’s Treasured Forests, co-authored by By David Dyson, USDA Forest Service; Tara Muenz, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream; and Eric Reutebuch, Alabama Water Watch:
Forest Management & Stream Water Quality
(or go to: http://www.forestry.alabama.gov/TREASUREDForests2014.aspx )
Tallapoosa basin is healthy, active watershed
by: eric reutebuch
The AU Water Resources Center and AWW in partnership with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the AU College of Agriculture recently held the 2014 Tallapoosa Basin Conference (TBC). The TBC was initiated back in 2005 as part of a large, multi-disciplinary research and outreach effort funded by the USDA-CSREES known as the Tallapoosa Watershed Project. A variety of grants, funds and partners were involved in the conference through the years.
Continue reading “Tallapoosa basin is healthy, active watershed”
Your AWWA Involvement is More Important Than Ever
Dr. Bill Deutsch, AWWA Board of Directors
The Alabama Water Watch Association (AWWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to support the goals of the AWW Program. In the coming months we will be introducing you to our Board of Directors and helping you gain a better understanding of this organization through a series of blog articles. If you would like to know more about joining the AWWA contact one of our Board Members or visit the “Support AWW” section of our homepage.
Like a couple of others on the Alabama Water Watch Association (AWWA) Board of Directors, I’ve been with things from the beginning of our “experiment” with community-based water monitoring. As the AWW Program Director at Auburn University, I’ve given countless updates about AWW’s progress at virtually all of our Board meetings. It has been a pleasure to share the positive news of our growth and impacts…new monitoring groups formed, additional sampling sites and data records, success stories of cleaning up pollution, and new ways to provide environmental education to Alabama kids. The “experiment” was a success, and thousands of Alabamians have proved their willingness to volunteer and get active in collecting and using vital information for the protection of our streams and lakes.
- Bill at White Cliffs English Channel
Continue reading “Your AWWA Involvement is More Important Than Ever”
SOS native son earns distinction
by: eric reutebuch
Cliff Webber, long-time Save Our Saugahatchee water monitor, board member and former President was honored recently by receiving the 2013 W. Kelly Mosley Award: ww.aces.edu/natural-resources/mosley
Meet the fine folks that keep AWW growing statewide!
by Rita Grub
I bet you’re enjoying the warmer temps and signs of spring – soft greens and colors we haven’t seen for several months. And maybe you’re like me – amazed that over 25% of 2014 is in the past. It’s been a BUSY time for AWW:
- There have been over 30 workshops and recertification sessions this year – awesome!!!
- There have been 75 new Water Chemistry and 76 new Bacteriological monitors trained in these workshops
- And almost 30 monitors have been recertifed!
Continue reading “Meet the fine folks that keep AWW growing statewide!”
Lake Watch and Lake Martin – in good hands!
by: eric reutebuch
Read about the revived water quality monitoring efforts of a dedicated troop of citizen volunteer monitors empowered by AWW to monitor the waters of Alabama’s Treasured Lake, led by Lake Watch Technical Coordinator and AWW-certified trainer, Ann Campbell.
Click here for the article: Watching the water
(source: LAKE MAGAZINE – http://www.lakemartinmagazine.com/ )