Photo credit: Madwind

The City of Alexander City is located on Lake Martin in the Middle Tallapoosa watershed. The city's economy has historically relied on industrial manufacturing from the Russell Corporation. Alexander City is working to also capitalize on the recreational opportunities offered by Lake Martin, one of Alabama's healthiest reservoirs.

Rain Gardens

When it rains, pollutants like oil, pet waste, clay, and excess pesticides may wash into our streams, rivers, and lakes. These pollutants can harm aquatic life and make our waters less desirable for activities like swimming, fishing, and boating.

Simple, attractive practices such as rain gardens treat stormwater before it reaches our local waters. Rain gardens are shaped like a bowl and catch stormwater for mini-processing.

The Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership, City of Alexander City, AU Landscape Architecture Department and Alabama Cooperative Extension System partnered to implement four rain garden demonstration projects at locations around Alexander City.

Benjamin Russell High School -Before & After

Anyone can protect the health of Alabama’s waters by taking small steps such as not applying excess fertilizers or pesticides to their lawns, disposing of oil and trash properly, and keeping a strip of vegetation, riparian buffer, along streambanks that acts as a filter to stormwater pollutants.

Town Hall Meeting, Charette

Representatives from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Alexander City, East Alabama Regional Planning Commission, Tallapoosa County Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and Lake Watch of Lake Martin took part in a town hall charette on Friday August 27, 2004 in Alexander City. Students from the Auburn University Department of Landscape Architecture (AULA) presented ideas on landscaping projects that enhance community aesthetics while improving the quality of stormwater runoff. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, polluted stormwater runoff is the leading cause of stream and river pollution.

AULA students introduced ideas such as pervious concrete, rain gardens, and stream restoration. These projects improve the quality of stormwater runoff by increasing infiltration and storage before it reaches local streams and rivers. Alexander City Mayor Don McClellan thanked the students for their input and acknowledged that many of the proposed project ideas could be considered for future improvements to the downtown area.

Community Based Restoration Initiatives is a partnership between USDA CSREES, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Auburn University Department of Landscape Architecture. Partnerships with the City of Alexander City, Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership, Lake Watch of Lake Martin, Alexander City School System, and Tallapoosa Watershed Project made these projects possible.

Photo Credit: Lake Martin Vacation Rentals, Inc