Alabama Rivers Alliance releases 2011 annual report
From Executive Director Cindy Lowry:
This past year brought many ups and downs for rivers across America. We faced the 42,000 gallon Exxon Mobile oil spill into the beautiful Yellowstone River and the wholesale attack on clean water laws nationally. We also rejoiced at the removal of two major dams on the White Salmon River and the Elwha River in Washington state, which now flow freely once again. The struggle to protect healthy, sustainable water resources continues.
Closer to home, the Alabama Rivers Alliance and our many partners across the state continue to celebrate the successes and face the challenges of our work to protect our waterways, the nation’s number one source of freshwater
biodiversity.
We were proud to publish the updated Alabama Water Agenda in the summer of 2011, outlining four key solutions for achieving healthy rivers in Alabama.
As you will read in this report, we are focusing our priorities in the new Alabama Water Agenda on advocating a comprehensive, statewide water management plan that will ensure healthy and secure water resources for the environment, the economy, and the people of Alabama. Our work in 2011 brought this effort to the forefront and we are finally gaining traction from state leaders.
This report also provides some highlights about the success of the Watershed Support Network, a national project in which the Alabama Rivers Alliance has participated by delivering support to 16 citizen groups across Alabama.
We continue to take pride in the strong and growing grassroots movement, which we support through partnerships, development trainings, and technical guidance. Alabama has many dedicated citizens working, often on a volunteer basis, to protect and preserve clean, healthy rivers in Alabama, and we at the Alabama Rivers Alliance work to build, unite, and support that movement.
None of this would be possible without the steadfast support of our members, partners, volunteers, and business sponsors.
This report is created to inform you of the important work your support enables. Thank you from all of us at the Alabama Rivers Alliance.
Yours for healthy rivers,
Cindy Lowry
Executive Director