slough clean-up

Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. Slough Cleanup this week Friday 5 and Saturday 6 Time: 8:00 A.M. to 2 P.M. Location: Rock, Crooked , Little Crooked Creeks and White Oak Dumpsters @ 3 locations Bags Furnished for slough cleanup NEEDED: boats and volunteers more info Call Meeting Area: Jim Kings Boat House Builder CO. RD. 222 David Brown 256-747-2109 or Sammy Boggan 205-215-4401

Rain Barrel Workshop to be held in Haleyville

Construct a 50-gallon rain barrel; and learn how to install and maintain it for only $10.  A Rain Barrel Workshop will be held Tuesday, August 14, 2012,  from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Alabama Center for Advanced Woodworking Technology in Haleyville.  Please call Winston County Extension office at 205 489-5376 for registration information.  See the complete flyer at:

http://tinyurl.com/75vdwfq

July 30 - ADCNR Public Meeting to Discuss Bass Populations in Smith Lake

The Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (ADCNR) will hold a public meeting on Monday, July 30 to discuss the status of bass populations in Smith Lake, bass management goals and regulations, and the possible use of tournament exemptions for harvest restrictions.  The meeting will be Monday, July 30 at 6:30 PM in Jasper at the Activity Room of the Community Health Systems Building.  The address is 204 19th Street East.  For directions, call the Walker County Chamber of Commerce at 205-384-4571.  For more information on the meeting, contact the ADCNR at 205-339-5716.

Partners continue to "Renew Our Rivers" on Smith Lake

Twenty-nine individuals joined forces at Houston Recreation Area this week to continue the "Renew Our Rivers" effort to clean-up Alabama's waterways.  Staff and volunteers from Alabama Power Company, Bankhead National Forest, and Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy, Inc removed litter from sloughs on Smith Lake as part of Renew Our Rivers.  Three barges and a bass boat worked together to fill two construction dumpsters full of bottles, cans, noodles, rafts, fishing tackle, propane bottles, grills, and small chunks of foam floating in and along the shoreline.  Special recognition goes to Hyche LLC of Addison for donating the dumpsters and removing the litter.

The partnership to clean up Smith Lake in Winston County began in 2006 with Alabama Power Company, Bankhead National Forest, Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy, Inc and the Winston County Commission.  Since that time, an estimated 672 tons of trash have been removed from Smith Lake in Winston County by the partner organizations.   Renew Our Rivers is the southeast's largest organized river clean-up.

BLACK WARRIOR RIVER BASIN

STATE OF THE WATERSHED CONFERENCE

August 1, 2012

Registration - 8:30am 8:55am

Conference 9:00am- 4:45pm

North River Yacht Club

3100 Yacht Club Way NE

Tuscaloosa, AL  35406

 Please make plans to attend the first State of the Watershed Conference for the Black Warrior River Basin.  A full day of information about the Black Warrior River will include:

• Recently completed or on-going studies
• Completed or on-going, on-the-ground projects
• Special places, AND

• Water Policy in Alabama

 Registration fee is $20 per person to cover lunch costs.  On-line registration is available at http://www.cleanwaterpartnership.org/.  (See Upcoming Events on the right side of the web page.)  A draft agenda is attached for your consideration.
 SPONSORED BY:
Westervelt Ecological Services LLC 
 If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Kellie Johnston, Black Warrior CWP Facilitator at (205) 623-0147 (email: warriorcwp@hotmail.com).

Boaters Day

Saturday May 5th 10:00 A.M to 12:00 A.M. Duncan Bridge Marina Florida Marine Police: to discuss current boating Laws and Regulations Maybe you just have a particular question you need an answer for. This will be the place and time to acquire an answer to your question. The Smith Lake Coast Guard Flotilla will also be there to talk with you about any problems or inspect your boat; to be sure everything is ready for this summer’s fun. INSPECTION OF YOUR BOAT IS FREE!!!!! Saturday May 12th. 10:00 A.M to 12:00 A.M Church on the Lake ( Next to Rock Creek Marina) Florida Marine Police: to discuss current boating Laws and Regulations Maybe you just have a particular question you need an answer for. This will be the place and time to acquire an answer to your question. The Smith Lake Coast Guard Flotilla will also be there to talk with you about any problems or inspect your boat; to be sure everything is ready for this summer’s fun. INSPECTION OF YOUR BOAT IS FREE!!!!!

WCSLAI recognized Nationally by the Forest Service with Rise to the Future Award

Forest Service News Release

Bankhead National Forest and Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Group Recognized Nationally

(Double Springs, Ala.) April 18, 2012 --- The U.S. Forest Service’s Bankhead Ranger District and longtime partner, Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Group, were recently honored at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. for their dedication to ensure the water quality of Lewis Smith Lake is protected and preserved. Numerous volunteers and Forest Service employees earned the Rise to the Future award – the Forest Service highest honor for exemplary aquatic stewardship.
Since 2007, the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Group has collaborated with the Bankhead National Forest in sponsoring lake shore clean-up events as part of the Alabama Power Company’s ‘Renew Our Rivers’ campaign. According to Elrand Denson, Bankhead district ranger, the Winston County ‘Renew Our Rivers’ clean-up events have removed approximately 180 tons of litter including styrofoam, appliances, tires, boating accessories and fishing tackle from Lewis Smith Lake shorelines in Winston County and the Bankhead National Forest.
“The coalition of partners have worked together tirelessly to remove trash from the shorelines on over 166 river miles in Winston County. The Forest Service commends our partners for taking on a community project to improve Alabama’s abundant natural resources” said Allison Cochran, Bankhead National Forest’s wildlife biologist. Such removal of litter not only beautifies the lake, but also prevents harm to wildlife animals and plants. It helps decontaminate the waterways and assists in preventing bushfires that damage natural areas.
“The partnership with the Bankhead Ranger District is allowing us to clean up the lake for future generations to enjoy,” said LaVerne Matheson, President of the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy. “Now we have a beautiful lake with water so blue it sparkles like diamonds at times.”
Originally, the partnership began as a small community cleanup that has now evolved into a large-scale grassroots project with hundreds of volunteers and supporters, including the Winston County Commission, Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association, Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, local businesses, lake residents and visitors.
To learn more about or to volunteer with the Winston County ‘Renew Our Rivers’ campaign, please contact Allison Cochran at (205) 489-5111. To join the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy, Inc and learn more about their projects in Winston County, please contact LaVerne Matheson at (256) 747-4422.
The Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Group is a 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to preserve and protect the environmental quality of Lewis Smith Lake and its tributaries through education of the public and promotion and implementation of sound environmental practices.
William B. Bankhead National Forest is one of Alabama’s four national forests managed by the USDA Forest Service. Its mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Motto: Caring for the land and serving people.