Chemistry Water Monitoring Training Workshop Conducted on Smith Lake

Alabama Water Watch Staff and volunteer instructors conducted a Chemistry Water Monitoring Training Workshop at the Smith Lake Civic Association Building and Duncan Bridge Marina. Special thanks to volunteer instructors Larry Barkey with Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. and John Kulbitskas with the Smith Lake Civic Association. Nine volunteers were certified and seven additional volunteers were re-certified. Certified Chemistry Water Monitoring volunteers can submit water testing data to the Alabama Water Watch database so that water quality trends can be tracked over time. Volunteers were trained to test water pH, total hardness, total alkalinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Thanks to everyone that took part to make the training a success.

board meeting

next meeting is Tuesday July 13th, 6:30 P.M. Traders nd Farmers Bank in Arley.
Our meetings are open to the public. Agenda has not been published. June cleanup removed over 15 tons of styrofoam plus debris in dumpster.Attaching a letter about some activities in July.
Dear Rock Creek Stakeholders,
I hope that all of you are having great summers and are gearing up for a fun 4th of July weekend! I would like to give you a quick update on the progress of the Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan project, and also tell you about some upcoming events including our Summer Bacteria Blitz.
We officially submitted the final Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan (RCWMP) last week and are now finishing the application to ADEM for funding to implement the Plan. Thanks to all of your valuable input and assistance, the planning process was great and the finished product, the Plan, is something that we can all be proud of. Thank you so much for taking the time to be a part of the process. We can’t wait to start working with you to put the Plan into action. You are making a difference in your watershed and beyond! Your grandchildren and great grandchildren will thank you for keeping the Rock Creek Watershed clean and beautiful. A million thanks!
We have several activities programmed for the days of July 22-24, that we would love for you to join in on.
On Thursday July 22, at 7 pm, we will have a brief meeting at the Traders and Farmers Bank in Addison to present the final Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan to interested stakeholders (copies will be available). This will also be a time for you to ask questions about the plan and the implementation process.
On Friday July 23, from 12:30 pm until 6:30 pm, Alabama Water Watch (AWW) will be holding a free Chemistry Water Monitoring Workshop at the home of Deb Berry [Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee, (SLEPC)], which is in Cullman County on the Simpson Branch of Ryan Creek.
On Saturday July 24, from 12:30 pm until 6:30 pm, AWW will be holding another free Chemistry Water Monitoring Workshop in Arley at the Traders and Farmers Bank Building.
If you have been certified by AWW, but need recertification, you will have an opportunity to be recertified at both workshops from 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm.
Please go to https://fp.auburn.edu/icaae/WorkShopRegC.aspx to register for your workshop.
Also, we will be attending the SLEPC meeting which begins at 9 am on Saturday July 24th, at the Dodge House Restaurant in Dodge City. We will briefly discuss the Winter Bacteria Blitz results and other AWW news. Please join us!
The Summer Bacteria Blitz will be ongoing throughout the three days. You can pick up testing materials at the RCWMP meeting on Thursday night or at the workshop on Friday. If you are not going to incubate your own samples, we can get your samples at either the Friday or Saturday workshops (depending on the day you test), or at the SLEPC meeting at the Dodge House Restaurant. We can coordinate other meeting times if these do not work for you. Because its summer and the temperatures are up (which makes bacteria like E. coli happy), we hope to monitor more sites than ever during this Blitz. We really need your help!
I’m sorry for the information overload, but am very excited for all of these activities! Feel free to contact me with any questions. We look forward to seeing you!
Thanks,
Mona


--
Mona Scruggs
Alabama Water Watch
250 Upchurch Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849-
Cel: 251-282-9998
Office: 1-888.844.4785 or 334.844.4785
email: srs0013@auburn.edu
website: www.alabamawaterwatch.org

June Clean-up A Success

Special thanks go out to all of the volunteers, organizations and businesses that continue to support the Renew Our Rivers effort to keep Smith Lake clean and beautiful! Over 51 individuals, including volunteers, Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy members, Alabama Power Company staff, and Bankhead National Forest staff removed styrofoam during the June 17 - 19 clean-up in Winston County.

Thanks to volunteer Mike Henshaw for capturing some of the hot, dirty and heavy work on film.

Board meeting

Tuesday June 8th 6:30 p.M. Traders and Farmers Bank
Arley

Proposed Agenda
Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy, Inc.
June 8, 2010


Minutes/Treasurers report Linda

Report on Water Testing Mary Ann

report on signage project Tom

Bag Program for boaters ALL

Rock Creek Water Management Plan Laverne

June Clean-up and Picnic All

Other new business

Open to the public

Alabama Smart Yards Program

There's a new publication available to lakefront property owners titled Alabama Smart Yards.  This publication was a team effort between the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association, the Alabama Master Gardeners Association, and the Auburn University Department of Horticulture.  Quoting the publication "Conservation and efficient, responsible use of our natural resources is the overriding concept and the educational goal of the Alabama Smart Yards (ASY) program. Participating in this process will save you time, energy, and money while preserving our natural heritage."  This 100-page publication details subjects such as landscape design, planting, watering, mulching, wildlife, pests, stormwater, and protecting waterfronts.  The publication was recently mentioned at one of our of our Rock Creek Watershed meetings and thought some WCSLAI members might like a copy.  We've ordered a 100 copies of the publication.  If you would like one give me a call at 489-5376, and I'll send it to you when they come in.

Next Clean-up - June 17 - 19 - Houston Rec Area

Please join us for the summer Renew Our Rivers clean-up on Smith Lake in Winston County. The target of the June 17 - 19 clean-up is loose styrofoam and litter which will be accepted at the Bankhead National Forest's Houston Recreation Area boat ramp. More details about the clean-up can be found on the flyer at the following link: http://www.aces.edu/~henshmd/temp/ROR_flyer2010_.pdf

Board meeting

Our board meeting May 10th was very productive, with discussions about our public meeting in April, signage, April clean-up, progress of the Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan, status of the Power Point Watershed program ,decision on location where to have the June 17th,18th and 19th clean-up,discussion of localized clean-ups, possibilities of having a bag for boaters to take with them, to put their trash in, and bring back to shore for disposal. Meeting was adjouned. Next board meeting Tuesday night, June 8th @ 6:30 P.M., Traders & Farmers Bank, Arley. Our Board Meetings open to the public.Do you have something you would like to bring to our attention,or just learn more about WCSLAI ,come be with us on June 8th.

2010 Board of Directors
Linda Atkinson
Larry Barkey
Bob Beatty
Sammy Boggan
David Brown
Kitty Chance
Mary Ann Crunk
Paul Gillette
Tom Grubbs
Burt Jones
Judy Lambert
LaVerne Matheson>