Background of Alabama Water
Watch
AWW PROGRAM
Alabama Water Watch (AWW) is an statewide program dedicated to developing citizen volunteer monitoring of Alabama's lakes, streams, and coasts. It is funded, in part, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 4, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), and is coordinated through Auburn University's Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, and the International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic
Environments.
The Program personnel oversees the day-to-day operations of the AWW Office and provides a wide range of services to monitors, including: Conduct training sessions; compile and maintain a massive collection of data on citizen volunteers, monitoring sites, and water quality data; interpret technical data gathered by monitors; produce a variety of media; and provide online summary graphs and maps.
Since the AWW Program began in 1992, nearly 250 citizen groups have become involved with water monitoring on hundreds of waterbodies. Monitors have sampled about 1,900 sites on 700 waterbodies and submitted over 38,000 water chemistry and 8,000 bacteriological data forms. This water information has had positive impacts on education, restoration and local-to-state water policy.
AWW MISSION
Alabama Water Watch is a non-profit organization, committed to expand the knowledge about water issues and improve both water quality and policy through volunteer citizen monitoring and action leading to a better understanding, protection and restoration of Alabama’s streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and coasts.
AWW GOALS
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educate citizens about water issues in Alabama and the world
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conduct water quality workshops
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provide technical backstopping and data management to monitors
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partner with monitors for making positive impacts on water quality and policy
AWW FUNDING SOURCES:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
| 1992 |
AWW Program begins |
| 1993 |
1st AWW Workshop conducted
AWW Association forms |
| 1994 |
1000th chemistry record received
EPA approves AWW chemistry protocols |
| 1995 |
1st Training of Trainers workshop |
| 1996 |
E.coli testing introduced
BIOASSESS game developed |
| 1997 |
1,000th bacteria record received
AWWarenwss list serve launched |
| 1998 |
AWW website premiered |
| 1999 |
10,000th chemistry record received
EPA approves bacteria protocols
1st Reservoir Series report published |
| 2000 |
1,160 sites in 465 waterbodies
AU Continuing Education units offered for AWW workshops |
| 2001 |
Relational database premiered |
| 2002 |
20,000th chemistry record received
75 AWW active groups
Online data entry premiered |
| 2003 |
5,000th bacteria record received
40% of data entered online |
| 2004 |
Macro Mania game developed
Five volumes of Citizen Guide to Alabama Rivers published |
| 2005 |
30,000th chemistry record received
80% of data entered online
40 Citizen Trainers
1000th AWW Workshop conducted |
| 2006 |
Revised Water Chemistry Monitoring Manual printed
12th Waterbody Report published
Cumulative 250 groups, 1875 sites on 7000 waterbodies |
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