The Cahaba River was deliciously cool and gin clear on May 6, 2011. At the River Run access, near Liberty Park, the rocks made for wild current and the setting sun sparked gems in the spray.

The green streamers are, alas, a type of algae that is not good for life in the river and is a sign that a sewage treatment plant’s discharge is overfertilizing the Cahaba, one of its pollution problems (think composted manure on your garden).

 The Cahaba quieted as the evening gentled the air. With these photographs I try to bring you into the river, to share its energy, beauty, and grace.

Beth Stewart    
mussl@bham.rr.com

How can you help The Cahaba? It's easy!

We as humans tend to pay more attention to the oceans and the species they contain than inland watersheds.  No one is to blame or anything like that, it's just how things have happened.  The Southeast is the most biologically diverse area in North America.  Alabama is the most diverse area in the Southeast.  Our watershed are hotspots of biodiversity, and should be protected as such.  The World Wildlife Fund designated the Mobile/Tennessee/Cumberland river system as among the 19 highest priority places to save on the planet in the next decade.  The Cahaba River has more fish species per mile than any other river of its size in North America.
We are lucky to live in an area where the abundance of species is literally all over us.  The Cahaba is an amazing spectacle.  It's beauty never ceases to absolutely blow me away.  Not to mention it is special biologically, it is unique in more ways than one.
All of this being said, it is great that there are businesses that understand and value what this means.  RBC Bank has an incredible initiative called The Blue Water Project.  Over 10 years RBC has committed to donating 50 million dollars to non-profits that help protect our most essential natural resource, clean water.
As part of the campaign RBC will donate one dollar to The World Wildlife Fund for every person who likes their Blue Water Project Facebook page.       
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rbcbluewaterproject
We are excited and honored to be associated with institutions as responsible and proactive as RBC and The World Wildlife Fund.  If you want to help protect inland watersheds, take the time to like their Facebook page and help our river systems.  It's an easy way you can help!

2011 River Ramble 10-mile results

2011 River Ramble- 10 Mile Run
1. Patrick Leonard
1:08:50
2. John Gregg
1:13:24
3. Thomas Woodring
1:16:15
4. Aytra Blalock
1:17:29
5. Chris Hood
1:18:06
6. Kyle Stichenoth
1:19:35
7. Edwin Kezar
1:21:34
8. Julie Elmer
1:22:58
9. Joe Weaver
1:23:33
10. Lucas Culpepper
1:24:21
11. Julie Croushorn
1:24:22
12. Sam Haskell
1:26:19
13. Brad Lichtenstein
1:27:25
14. Tracy Hand
1:28:31
15. Joann Jetton
1:29:37
16. Eddie Lewis
1:28:58
17. James Gonzales-Meisler
1:25:06
18. Kaitlin Henry
1:25:06
19. Aaron Smith
1:29:21
20. Tom Riser
1:30:31
21. Theresa Burst
1:30:35
22. Ekkehard Bonate
1:34:13
23. Sunnie Thompson
1:35:03
24. Donald Campbell
1:36:52
25. Mary Adamy
1:37:06
26. Bill Potter
1:37:58
27. David Christy
1:39:28
28. Ashley Hawkins
1:45:27
29. Margaret
1:45:30
30. Chad Etheridge
1:45:56
31. David Brothers
2:04:51
32. Betsy Belser
2:04:51
33. Katie Gregg
2:04:52
34. Kelli Burgess
2:08:02
35. Sharon Gilliland
2:16:41
36. Cherry Thomas
2:25:28

The River Ramble Results! 5k

2011 River Ramble 5k
1. Bryan Filgo
26:30:00
2. William Thigpen
26:46:00
3. Ruth Truss
27:06:00
4. Audra Vaughn
27:08:00
5. James Pewitt
27:52:00
6. Terry Morton
28:13:00
7. Christine Hoene
29:20:00
8. Roger Blalock
29:22:00
9. Katie Pezillo
30:46:00
10. Heath Vaughn
30:48:00
11. Ginny Freeman
30:52:00
12. Squealy Mason
31:16:00
13. Angela Pewitt
31:18:00
14. Melanie Thigpen
33:18:00
15. Dori Watters
33:42:00
16. Richard Giarusso
36:32:00
17. Olivia Carey
36:33:00
18. Noel Watters
37:01:00
19. Benita Cahalane
37:05:00
20. Cindy Lowry
37:15:00
21. Kelly Smith
37:27:00
22. Aimee Eiland
38:58:00
23. Christing Hoene
41:13:00
24. Maryanne Bonventre
41:14:00
25. Jenny Seibert
41:28:00
26. Jack Freeman
56:49:00
27. Paul Freeman
56:50:00
28. Harris Pigford
107:43:00
29. Virginia Jackson
107:52:00
30. Dick Pigford
1:10:15

Richard Joseph SalonSpa raised $10,900 this year!

In April Richard Joseph SalonSpa raised $10,900 in support of the Cahaba River Society.  This is just amazing.  It is not the first time RJSS has really come through to show their support either.  They have been more than active for the last four years, donating at least ten thousand dollars annually.  It is so refreshing to see a local salon as prestigious and elegant as RJSS help out the CRS.  Words cannot express how excited the staff was when the numbers came in.  Thank you so much Richard Joseph SalonSpa! 

The Results Are In!!! Ther River Ramble winners are announced here!

The River Ramble this year was a complete success.  We want to thank everyone for coming out to an event that surpassed everyone's expectations.  We were able to collect a great amount of donations for the storm victims and had a great time.  Without further ado, here are the winners!

The 5k Women's top 3:
1.  Ruth Truss 27:06
2.  Audra Vaughn 27:08
3.  Katie Pezzillo 30:46

The 5k Men's top 3:
1.  Bryant Filgo 26:30
2.  William Thigpen 26:46
3.  James Pewitt 27:52

The Women's 10 mile top 3:
1.  Aytree Blalock 1:17:29
2.  Julie Elmer 1:22:583. 
Julie Croushorn 1:24:22

The Men's 10 mile top 3:
1.  Patrick Leonard 1:08:50
2.  John Gregg 1:13:24
3.  Thomas Woodring 1:16:15

Congratulations to our winners!  Thank you all so much for making this an unforgettable experience!

Why is storm water runoff important? I'll tell you.

I will admit that before coming to my internship I thought of storm drainage rarely.  I knew what a storm drain was, and I knew where they went.  I thought I would just write some of the more important implications of storm drainage in an attempt to enlighten others.  When a new building gets built, it obviously has to have a storm drainage system.  All of that water has to go somewhere, right?  The water that used to soak into the ground naturally now gets caught in gutters, and sent to man-made canals.  Two things happen at this point.  The water gathers and moves faster over time, and it hits the creek or river it is destined for, hard.  Where water used to seep into a watershed, it now is funneled in quickly, causing erosion.  There is also a chance that the water can pick up sediment on its way and add that to the river, clogging it up.  Secondly, the water picks up any pollutants that it runs over in its concrete channel and deposits that into the river.  This is obviously very bad for  waterways.  Sediment and erosion can cause islands to form, and impede navigation of fish.
If development were to be allowed to happen without any input from conservation groups, the impact on watersheds would be terrible.  It is important, if we are to protect our resources responsibly, to support such groups in protecting our rivers.