In January 2020, Alabama Water Watch (AWW), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service (USFS), officially launched a new water quality monitoring project in the national forests in Alabama, funded by the USFS Citizen Science Competitive Funding Program (CitSci Fund). Established in 2017, the CitSci Fund supports innovative projects that address science and resource management information needs while connecting people to the land and one another.

The goal of the AWW program is to encourage citizens to discover the national forests in Alabama by testing their waters. Citizen volunteers are trained to collect water chemistry and bacteriological monitoring data on select stream locations within the national forests. Ultimately, the USFS will use this water data to make watershed management decisions in the forests.

Workshops

In 2020, AWW held three, two-day water quality monitoring workshops for the Tuskegee, Bankhead, and Conecuh national forests, training a total of 70 people. These workshops covered information related to the water environment, forests and watershed health, pollution, and water quality standards. During day two of each workshop, participants conducted monitoring practices on the respective national forest.

Volunteer monitors have collected a total of approximately 250 water chemistry and bacteriological data records since the project began. The first year of the project yielded 1,049 volunteer hours, valued at $28,533.

“I want to share with anyone who’s interested in doing this kind of work that it really is its own reward to be out there. It’s nice to feel like you’re doing something that contributes to a greater cause. I’ve not yet monitored for a year, but I do really look forward to developing a deeper relationship with these areas and these spots that I’ve been assigned, and observing the cycles and changes. I’m grateful to be part of this organization that facilitates this good work.” – Tuskegee National Forest monitor volunteer