Alabama Water Agencies Working Group will report recommendations for Alabama’s water management plan: Stakeholders will ask questions, provide feedback at next symposium in series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2014

Contact:          Mitch Reid
205-322-6395
[email protected]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. On Friday, September 26, 2014, members of the Alabama Water Agencies Working Group will discuss their recommendations for the formation of a comprehensive water management plan for Alabama at a symposium at the University of Alabama’s Bryant Conference Center. The report, Mapping the Future of Alabama’s Water Resources Management: Policy Options and Recommendations,  was commissioned by Governor Bentley in a 2012 directive and it provides a starting point for developing a comprehensive plan for managing and protecting Alabama’s water resources.“We are pleased that the Working Group has agreed to participate in this symposium to discuss their efforts over the last few years,” said Mitch Reid, program director at the Alabama Rivers Alliance.  “Alabama is blessed with water and we must do all that we can to ensure that we use this resource wisely.”

Alabama is the only state among its neighbors that does not have a water plan. The Alabama Rivers Alliance, which has long advocated the development of such a plan, has worked with partners across the state to host a series of symposia to keep stakeholders informed about the plan’s progress and to gather stakeholder input. The symposium in Tuscaloosa will be the eighth in the series and is hosted in partnership with the Alabama Sierra Club.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox will open the day’s event with a welcome to the city. Attendees will then hear from experts working in the University of Alabama’s Water Centers, including Commander Nathan H. Hancock of the U.S. National Water Center and Bennett Bearden of the University of Alabama Water Policy and Law Institute.

Representatives of the Alabama Water Agencies Working Group will then present their report, Mapping the Future of Alabama’s Water Resources Management: Policy Options and Recommendations. Symposium participants will be given an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to Alabama Water Agencies Working Group members.

This symposium will be followed by another in Birmingham at on October 9 at Birmingham-Southern College. Participants will hear from a panel of top water resource planning experts from around the region.

“We see these symposia as a great opportunity,” said Reid. “In these meetings, water users and policy makers come together to begin the discussion about how to meet everyone’s needs while protecting the natural wonders of Alabama’s rivers and streams.  If you care about water, you’ll definitely want to be in this discussion.”

The symposia are free to attend and lunch is provided for those who pre-register. Registration and more information may be found at www.alabamarivers.org/events/alabama-water-policy-symposia.

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About the Alabama Rivers Alliance
The Alabama Rivers Alliance is the statewide organization working to defend and restore Alabama’s rivers by advocating for smart water policy, organizing at the grassroots level, and teaching citizens how they can protect their water with in order to achieve healthy rivers, healthy people, and a healthy system of government for the state of Alabama.  Please visit www.alabamarivers.org for more information.