FAIRHOPE, Ala. - A workshop to teach Baldwin County residents how to construct and install rain barrels has been set for Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. – noon.

The workshop will be held at the Weeks Bay Resource Center at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 11525 U.S. Highway 98 in Fairhope.

Other ways to decrease the impacts of stormwater originating from residential properties will also be discussed, according to a Weeks Bay Reserve news release today.

The cost for the workshop is $40 and includes one rain barrel per participant to take home. The fee for individuals who wish to attend without making a rain barrel is $10. Space for this workshop is limited.

“Please pre-register by Monday, April 11, to ensure that you will receive a rain barrel.,” the release stated. “A rain barrel is an inexpensive means of capturing and storing rainwater for later use. By installing a rain barrel you'll not only help reduce pollution, but you'll also have a supply of free non-chlorinated soft water for irrigating your landscape.”

Coastal Alabama receives, on average, in excess of 60 inches of rainfall per year. In urban areas most of this water washes across impervious surfaces, carrying fertilizers, chemicals, and other pollutants into our waterways, the release stated.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, stormwater runoff is the greatest threat to water quality in the United States, and as more people continue to move to coastal areas, impervious surfaces, and the associated stormwater that come along with it, continues to increase.

To register, email christian@auburn.edu or call at 251-438-5690. For questions or for more information, call Christian Miller, Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center, 251-438-5690.