AWWareness – The Official Newsletter of Alabama Water Watch

October 8, 2019October 14, 2019

Alabama Flash Drought

UPDATE: Fire Alert Issued in Alabama (more info below)

What is a “Flash” Drought?

A flash drought is the rapid onset of drought. While conventional drought is mainly driven by a lack of precipitation, flash drought is often caused by a combination of abnormally high temperatures, winds, and/or incoming radiation that leads to abnormally high evapotranspiration rates (read more). After enduring one of the hottest and driest Septembers on record, Alabama and the vast majority of the Southeast are currently in flash drought conditions.

April 15, 2019April 15, 2019

AWW Tiger Giving Project, Protect Alabama Waterways, Mini-grant Program

WE ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING APPLICATIONS FOR THE AWW TIGER GIVING PROJECT MINI-GRANT PROGRAM!! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE APPLICATION.

If you are a certified AWW monitor and need some help to get started monitoring at an orphaned site or a new site, in the form of a water chemistry test kit, water chemistry reagents to refill an existing kit, or bacteria supplies, this mini-grant program is for you!

Continue reading “AWW Tiger Giving Project, Protect Alabama Waterways, Mini-grant Program”

August 19, 2019October 21, 2019

Expert View: Toxic Algal Blooms

UPDATE: Free stakeholder meeting during 10th US Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) symposium on November 6th. (More info below)

Dr. Alan Wilson is a professor in Auburn University’s School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences in the College of Agriculture. Dr. Wilson has offered his thoughts on recent news stories of pet deaths related to poor water quality, specifically freshwater algal blooms.

August 19, 2019September 10, 2019

AWW Annual Meeting Awards

We would like to thank everyone who attended the 2019 Alabama Water Watch Annual Meeting on June 22, 2019. As always, it was a pleasure to be able to catch up and chat with each of you about the great work you’ve been doing. Below, you will find a quick recap of the groups of individuals awarded honors for their exemplary work this year.

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019

Recap: 2019 AWW Annual Meeting

Thanks to everyone who was able to gather for the 2019 AWW Annual Meeting at Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, AL! As always, it was a great opportunity to fellowship and hear about all of the great work AWW Volunteers are doing throughout the state.

Here are a few highlights from activities that took place on June 21 and 22 as part of the event.

August 16, 2019September 10, 2019

Alabama Rivers Educator Workshops

This summer, AWW launched a brand-new curriculum and set of educator workshops focused on the book, Alabama Rivers: A Celebration & Challenge, by former AWW Director, Dr. Bill Deutsch. The project was made possible with special funding from the Alabama Bicentennial Commission (Alabama 200), support of the Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

A lesson plan focused on geology, “Towel Tectonics” has been a crowd favorite with our workshop participants!

August 16, 2019August 22, 2019

MeOWW – Renee Frachioni

On the most perfect spring day, I had the pleasure of leaving my computer screen behind to go into the field and conduct a recertification session for one of our volunteers, Renee Frachioni. We made the short drive over to Town Creek, which is one of the four sites where she does her monthly water chemistry monitoring in the Auburn area. Renee is a very methodical and careful monitor, so my job recertifying was quite easy. It gave me the chance to soak in some of the warm sunshine, to listen to the bubbling creek, and I even spotted a tiger swallowtail butterfly flutter by.

After we finished up, we sat down on a bench near the trail to her site and I took the opportunity to ask her a few “MeOWW Worthy Questions.” We are lucky in the AWW Office to be able to see Renee (and her husband Mark who usually goes with her to test on a monthly basis) when she comes to borrow a testing kit. Take a minute and get to know her!