Partnerships Improving Water Quality and Community Development in Tallapoosa County

February 07, 2008

With 743 miles of shoreline, recreation opportunities, homes, condominiums, jobs and the drinking water supply for 40,000 people, Lake Martin is a major part of the economy of Tallapoosa County and the surrounding area.

The 2007 drought helped people see the importance of the lake and highlighted an important organization, the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership founded six years ago.

The MTCWP was formed to restore and protect the Middle Tallapoosa River Basin; to develop a basin-wide management approach that safeguards water quality; and to develop collaborative programs that effectively and efficiently use available resources.

According to Tommy Futral, Alabama Cooperative Extension System coordinator for Tallapoosa County, the MTCWP brings community leaders, agencies, businesses, industries, media, educators, lake organizations, individuals and Alabama Power Company representatives together to discuss water quality and quantity issues related to Lake Martin’s watershed and to make plans for the future.

Grants from the City of Alexander City and the Alabama Clean Water Partnership helped MTCWP create rain gardens, restore streams, train teachers and complete macroinvertebrate bioassessment, fish assessment and chemical water testing. The MTCWP also provided hands-on water quality programs for more than 3,400 elementary students through field trips to streams, presentations of the enviroscape model, waterfests and creation of a pocket wetland.

The MTCWP also sponsored the third State of the Watershed Conference in 2007. Stakeholders shared the latest use of technology, educational programs and the statistical impact of the lake on the economy. More than 65 people attended the idea sharing conference.

With funding from Alexander City, Extension hired an agent assistant for water quality to facilitate activities for the partnership.

The drought and its effect on water quality and quantity; the effect of an ethanol plant, waste-water treatment improvements; can and bottle law; erosion from construction; water conservation; Lake Martin relicensing; and rural septic systems are some of the important issues discussed at MTCWP meetings.

Posted by dreynold on February 7, 2008 09:19 AM
Grassroots - News from around Alabama - RSS Feed