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Rivers of Alabama Day is Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Posted on by Kelly

Rivers of Alabama Day is Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Alabama citizens are encouraged to celebrate by getting out on Alabama’s rivers and river protection movement

April 9, 2012, Birmingham, Ala. Alabama has over 77,000 miles of rivers and streams, and there is a special day dedicated to celebrating them. Rivers of Alabama Day is the second Tuesday in April. In addition to celebrating Alabama’s waterways on this day, the Alabama Rivers Alliance encourages all Alabama citizens to celebrate the vital network of grassroots groups that fight to protect them.

Rivers of Alabama Day was established in 2007 when the Alabama State Legislature passed a resolution establishing the second Tuesday in April as Rivers of Alabama Day.  Supported by both houses of the legislature, the purpose of this day is “to recognize the many valuable assets rivers bring to the State of Alabama.” According to the resolution, Alabama’s rivers are a blessing to the state since they provide habitat to high quality freshwater fish, mussel, snail, and crawfish species; supply the water essential to agriculture and and industry; and support the state’s multimillion dollar tourism industry.

The Alabama Rivers Alliance offers citizens a variety of suggested ways to celebrate this special day:

We dare to defend our rivers

  1. Get out on one of Alabama’s rivers and do something that you enjoy, such as going paddling, swimming, or fishing.
  2. Practice water conservation & efficiency. Install a rain barrel, fix a leaky pipe, or try out one of these otherwater saving tips.
  3. Save water by saving energy. Do you know how the electricity used to turn on the lights in your bathroom is tied to the water that comes out of your shower? Click here to learn about the water/energy connection.
  4. Volunteer for a river protection organization in your area. Click here to see theAlabama Rivers Alliance directory of water protection organizations.
  5. Contact your legislators and let them know you care about Alabama’s waterways by wishing them a happy Rivers of Alabama Day.
  6. Have a nice tall glass of water from your tap. Do you know which water body it comes from? If not, contact your local water utility to find out.
  7. Work to protect rivers by becoming a citizen water monitor with Alabama Water Watch. Click here to find out how.
  8. Support the Alabama Rivers Alliance by making a donation.
  9. Support your local watershed group by making a donation.
  10. Forward this message to a friend and let others know about Rivers of Alabama Day.
“Alabama is blessed with a unique environment and very special waterways,” said Alabama Rivers Alliance Executive Director Cindy Lowry. “We have more freshwater biodiversity than any other state in the nation. Unfortunately, Alabama also ranks highly in terms of species at risk for extinction. That is why our strong community of grassroots water protection organizations is vital. All Alabamians should take a moment on this special day to appreciate our rivers and honor those who protect them.”

“Our staff will be spending the day on Alabama’s rivers to remind us what we are working to protect,” Lowry continued. “Then at 6pm we will gather at Good People Brewing Company, a local Birmingham brewery that uses drinking water from the Black Warrior river to make their product, to have a toast to Alabama’s rivers. We would like to invite anyone who is interested to join us!”