Rounding out a successful year, the Wolf Bay

Watershed Watch received the Watershed Organization of the Year

award from the Alabama Rivers Alliance, a statewide non-profit

river advocacy organization.

The award is “of utmost importance because it

is the grassroots organizations from all across the state of

Alabama who make up the backbone of the Alliance’s work to protect

Alabama’s rivers and waters,” said Executive Director Cindy Lowry

of the river alliance, in an email interview.

“This year’s group award was given to the Wolf

Bay Watershed Watch because of their long history of hard work to

protect beautiful Wolf Bay in the midst of the fastest growing

population area in our state,” she said. 

“Despite the challenges they face, this all volunteer organization

has continued to thrive and find ways to not only protect the bay,

but to build awareness throughout their community of this important

resource."

On April 20, the Alabama Department of

Environmental Management (ADEM) reclassified Wolf Bay as

Outstanding Alabama Water (OAW), the state’s highest designation

for water quality.

The watershed watch was an impetus behind the

OAW designation since volunteers with the group have been sampling

water quality over the years, providing ADEM with continuous data

that verified the bay’s status for the pristine classification.

“On the heels of their long fought effort to

achieve Outstanding Alabama Water for Wolf Bay, it was a most

deserving award for this wonderful organization who is the perfect

embodiment of the Alabama Rivers Alliance mission of empowering

citizens to protect clean healthy waters,” Lowry said.

The Alabama Rivers Alliance awarded Wolf Bay

at its 9^th Annual Watershed Leadership Conference at

Camp McDowell in north-central Alabama.  The

conference provides environmentally-related education, including

watershed policy, science and leadership, for grassroots watershed

organizations and interested citizens.

Over 130 individuals representing nearly 30

local, state, regional and national organizations attended, and

speakers included Jerome Ringo, Chair of the National Wildlife

Federation; Don Elder, President of River Network; and Wendy Smith

of the World Wildlife Fund.