Water pollutants are substances or conditions that change the natural state of an aquatic ecosystem, leading to degradation. Alabama utilizes their drinking water from both ground and surface water.
Many of Alabama’s water resour…
As with any system it is important to avoid runoff when irrigating or watering. Proper irrigation installation and design will ensure that each plant receives sufficient water.
Reduce the need for watering. Choose water-effic…
Alabama is in the midst of a drought with unusually warm fall weather and trees are beginning to exhibit signs of stress. Droughts, especially prolonged droughts, affect trees and other woody plants in serious ways. The effects are not alwa…
…urce. Excess fertilizer also can be washed off by rainfall or irrigation and runoff directly into surface water or stormwater systems, causing algal blooms, fish kills, and nitrate poisoning.
Have your soil tested each year to determine …
A watershed is an area of land through which rainwater drains by flowing across, through, or under the soil surface to a common low point, typically a stream, river, lake, or ocean. Each drainage system is its own watershed, and all watersh…
Have you ever wondered what storm drains have to do with the water you swim in? Or why what you put on your lawn influences local fish? Have you wanted to know how healthy your local waters actually are or what can we do to protect and impr…
…ducive for freshwater blue-green algae on the Gulf coast.
“Cyanobacterial blooms happen frequently in inland, freshwater systems,” Wilson said. “They are less common in coastal areas. On the coast, red tides tend to happen, but they ar…
…de better than they accept water on the alkaline side. Typically, wells in Alabama range in pH from 5 to 6.5. Municipal water systems may range in pH from 6 to 9 depending on their water sources.
Turbidity
Turbidity results from the…
…ial meaning that is used for all other health-based drinking water contaminants.
For corrosion testing in public water systems, at least nine out of every 10 samples must have lead and/or copper concentrations below the respective ac…
All along Alabama’s rivers, lakes, bayous, and bays, towns small and large rely on water access to support their economies. The state, therefore, is taking steps to ensure that there is water access for traditional uses for its future gen…
In recent years, high tunnel production of vegetables has increased significantly in the Southeast. High tunnels provide crop protection from low temperatures in spring and fall, extending the growing season. Disease management practices in…
A systems approach to beef cattle production involves many working parts that influence the overall goal of the operation. Although you may think about repairing these parts one piece at a time, you must recognize that, in reality, …
A drought is a period of abnormally dry weather that persists long enough to produce a serious hydrologic imbalance, causing, for example, crop damage and shortages in the water supply. The severity of a drought depends on the degree of moi…