EXTENSION CORNER: Citizen scientists can help protect Alabama's watersheds
Water is hugely important to our community. It’s a large part of our identity in Gadsden and Etowah County; a large part of our economy and identity comes from the rivers, streams and lakes in our area.
All of these bodies are critical parts of our watershed, and most of our area is in the Coosa River Watershed. We have a unique and growing program within Alabama Cooperative Extension called the Alabama Watershed Stewards Program that helps to ensure that all Alabama cites are resilient, livable, productive and sustainable through clean water.
The Alabama Watershed Stewards program is a science-based outreach from Extension and the Auburn University Water Resources Center. The center promotes healthy watersheds, increases understanding of water pollution and provides the knowledge and tools to approach water as a community asset.
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We are hosting workshops and sharing educational materials, AWS offers a platform for local decision-makers, organizations and others to come together in imagining the future of our community’s waterways, and to take action to protect and plan for those resources.
We have the opportunity to work with Alabama Water Watch as well. Residents (this means you) can become resident water watch monitors. You can help us collect data to monitor local waterways on your own.
You can join a statewide network of citizen scientists who help keep track of water quality changes over time. Tracking water quality helps identify unexpected issues or concerns in a watershed and can provide an awareness of ways to improve water quality.
You also can sign up for the Alabama Watershed Stewards Online course, which will introduce you to the basics of water quality, watershed health and ways to get involved.
Registration is online at https://aub.ie/awsonline. The course is self-paced, so you can log in for up to six months. The course takes roughly one hour per day for five days to complete. There are 0.7 Continuing Education Units available for those who complete the training.
We have many educational programs coming soon that will help all residents of our community learn more about our valuable watershed and learn what they can do to protect it. Stay tuned!
If you have questions about extension programs, please reach out or stop by our office at 3200A W. Meighan Blvd., call us at 256-547-7936 or visit us on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3otwUdl or online at https://bit.ly/3yniPCx.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Everyone is welcome! Please let us know if you have accessibility needs.
Eric Wright is extension coordinator for the Etowah County Extension Office.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Alabama Extension seeks watershed stewards
