The Cahaba River Society
The Cahaba River Society
Est. 1988
The
Cahaba River Society (CRS) is Alabama’s largest watershed conservation
organization and is recognized nationally for river stewardship.
CRS’s success is due to our balanced, science-based, and inclusive
approach.
and its rich diversity of life.
This
diversity includes not only the river’s nationally-significant aquatic life,
but also the diverse people of central Alabama who rely on the Cahaba for clean,
low cost drinking water. The Cahaba
has more species of fish per mile than any other river in North America, and the
river is the main drinking water source for the Birmingham Water Works Board,
which serves one-fourth of Alabama’s people. The same pollutants from growth and development that
are damaging the vulnerable life in the river are threatening the quality and
cost of our drinking water.
¨
Protecting
and restoring the Cahaba River, our region’s premiere natural resource.
¨
Safeguarding our drinking water.
¨
Educating
youth and adults to improve environmental decision-making.
¨
Managing
growth and development so that the Cahaba will be restored even as
our communities continue to grow.
¨
Promoting
a healthy environment for all the region’s residents, regardless of income,
race, or where they live.
Program Priorities 2003/2004
CLEAN Environmental Education Program:
CLEAN
provides hands-on environmental education through river field trips and
restoration projects for students and teachers. Since 1996 CLEAN has brought 9,800 students and teachers
from Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Bibb, Dallas and Perry County into the
Cahaba.
Upper Cahaba Watershed Plan:
CRS and partners
have launched a planning process that will balance river protection and
reasonable growth and is the first multi-government land use planning
effort for environmental protection in our region. CRS serves on the
stakeholder and technical advisory committees, encourages broad public
involvement in the planning process, ensures that the plan is based on sound
science, and helps raise funds and build support for implementation.
