![\"23](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/IMG_0065b.jpg\")
<\/a>23 years of volunteer citizen involvement in AWW: 1992-2015<\/p><\/div>\n
Here are some examples:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 80,500 cumulative water quality records (water chemistry, bacteriological, and stream biomonitoring records) taken and entered into AWW\u2019s online database;<\/li>\n
- 2,300 sites monitored, many on streams not monitored by other state agencies;<\/li>\n
- E. coli<\/em> monitoring and postings from some of Alabama\u2019s most treasured and most utilized waterbodies (e.g., the Cahaba River, Lake Martin, Wolf Bay, the Choctawhatchee River, etc.);<\/li>\n
- volunteer bacteriological monitoring of public-use waters that has now surpassed the number of monitoring sites done by the state (based on postings at theswimguide.org:<\/em> \u00a0volunteer-monitored sites, all freshwater, = 38*; state-monitored sites, all marine, = 25); and,<\/li>\n
- more than 1,000 youth inspired by the AWW story in the past year, along with scores of adults!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"AWW](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/Welcome-1024x729.jpg\")
<\/a>AWW Director, Eric Reutebuch welcoming all to the Annual Meeting<\/p><\/div>\n
How does AWW achieve these things? The Number 1 ingredient: scores of concerned Alabamians who care about their water and watersheds, and who are willing to get involved to preserve and protect them. Ingredient Number 2: a dedicated, experienced, stable staff that is committed to the waters and the volunteer water monitors and trainers throughout the state. Ingredient Number 3: a strong commitment from both the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station to support the AWW Program and AWW citizen monitors and trainers in their watershed stewardship efforts. Both Dr. Lemme, ACES Director, and Dr. Brown ACES Associate Director, voiced this support, praising AWW as a highly effective program that positively impacts the lives of Alabamians.<\/p>\n
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/Lemme1-1024x489.jpg\")
<\/a>Dr. Lemme, ACES Director, commending AWW volunteer trainers and monitors on their efforts<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Mona](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/Mona1-1024x666.jpg\")
<\/a>Mona Dominguez, AWW Youth Education Coordinator and Annual Meeting organizer, acknowledging AWW volunteer trainers, AWW monitors and AWW supporters<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Rita](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/Rita1-1024x718.jpg\")
<\/a>Rita Grub, AWW Office Coordinator, updating all on AWW achievements, one of which: over 80,000 AWW water quality records submitted! GO MONITORS!<\/p><\/div>\n
This point was reinforced by presentations of three different stories from monitors and a resource manager representing the three pillars of AWW\u2019s data-to-action strategy, 1) water policy, 2) waterbody restoration & protection, and in 3) environmental education.<\/p>\n
Water Policy<\/u>: All were inspired by Dan Ballard, City of Auburn Water Resources Watershed Division Manager, as he elaborated on the strong partnership that has developed between the City and local citizen monitors in Save Our Saugahatchee and Friends of Chewacla Creek & Uphapee Watershed, and the crucial role that AWW volunteer monitors play in local water resources management through their extensive water monitoring and watershed stewardship activities.<\/p>\n
![\"City](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/IMG_0011-1024x676.jpg\")
<\/a>City of Auburn’s Dan Ballard enumerating the many benefits of AWW volunteer monitoring in local water resource management<\/p><\/div>\n
Waterbody Restoration & Protection<\/u>: Eric Reutebuch, AWW Director, followed, sitting in for Myra Crawford, Cahaba Riverkeeper, and Dave Butler, owner and operator of Canoe the Cahaba<\/em>, describing the expanding role of AWW volunteer monitoring in the Cahaba River Basin in response to repeated inquiries from the public: \u201cis it safe to swim in the river?\u201d To address this need, they have established a series of monitoring sites in the Cahaba Watershed, monitor regularly for E. coli<\/em>, and post their results on The Swim Guide<\/em> to share the information with all. Contaminated stream reaches have already been identified and identification of bacterial sources is ongoing. Check out Alabama’s ABC 33\/40 News<\/em> story featuring Myra and their water monitoring efforts:<\/p>\n
![\"News1\"](\"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/News1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n - volunteer bacteriological monitoring of public-use waters that has now surpassed the number of monitoring sites done by the state (based on postings at theswimguide.org:<\/em> \u00a0volunteer-monitored sites, all freshwater, = 38*; state-monitored sites, all marine, = 25); and,<\/li>\n