Whitney Henson, AWW Trainer & Monitor Extraordinaire!

Image

1

Whitney Henson first started monitoring with AWW in 2014 and became a dedicated citizen volunteer trainer just a year later. She has since graduated from Jacksonville State University with a Bachelors in Geography in 2015 and Masters in Emergency Management in 2017, helped establish the AWWsome monitoring group Jacksonville River Monitors and now works at NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction as an Associate Scientist.

Whitney titrates a dissolved oxygen sample.

Let’s get to know Whitney better:

Continue reading →

Fish Kills and Contaminated Fish Consumption

Image

Below are a couple of updates relative to 1) reporting fish kills, and 2) advising on consumption of contaminated fish.

  1. Reporting Fish Kills:

Please help the good folks in the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) in documenting and diagnosing fish kills in Alabama Waters by calling them ASAP when you witness a fish kill at:

Operation Game Watch line at 1-800-272-GAME(4263)       (http://www.outdooralabama.com/reporting-freshwater-fish-kills)

Note that time is of the essence in diagnosing fish kills since waters are typically moving/flowing and water quality conditions are changing. AWW also recommends that when you witness a fish kill:

  • Take digital pictures of the dead fish
  • Conduct water chemistry testing if you are an AWW monitor and have the water chemistry test kit (to evaluate critical parameters including dissolved oxygen and pH)
  • Conduct bacteriological testing if you are an AWW monitor and have the bacteriological testing supplies (if E. coli/bacteria counts are high, this could indicate a sewage spill that could lead to DO depletion as sewage decomposes in the water)
  1. Fish Consumption Advisories:

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and ADEM sample fish and compile an annual Fish Consumption Advisory. Fish Consumption Advisories offer information about fish from Alabama rivers and lakes that may be contaminated. This information enables people to make informed choices about which fish and how much fish to eat.

Visit the ADPH website for the 2017 advisory document:  http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/tox/fish-advisories.html

Keep watching the water, and thanks for your stewardship efforts in protecting our premiere waters!

 

 

AU’s Coast Guard Auxiliary begins Watching Auburn’s Water

Image

Last fall, Alabama Water Watch (AWW) was contacted by Flotilla Commander Jake Shaw, Director of the Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGA) at Auburn University. Commander Shaw, and the AU CGA cadets were interested in AWW and how water monitoring might mesh with their mission to be involved in environmental stewardship. After an introductory presentation on AWW, they felt that becoming AWW-certified in water monitoring would be a great fit!

AU CGA cadets Tyler Daily, Veronica Albrecht, Suzanna Pickering and Christopher Paul, certified in AWW water monitoring and eager to test some water!

Continue reading →