Watershed Leadership Program

The Alabama Rivers Alliance works directly and in cooperation with local groups to protect clean, healthy waters.

Click the links below for more information:

• Watershed Directory
• Watershed Leadership Conference
• Map of Alabama's Watershed Groups
• Grassroots Newsletter
• Grants, Tools, and Training
• Watershed Support Network

The Watershed Leadership Program works to grow the capacity of Alabama citizens to unite, protect, and restore rivers and their watersheds.  In doing so, the Rivers Alliance helps build and support a strong network of local river guardian organizations.

Lead Program Staff:
Elizabeth Salter – Watershed Organizer

What are Local River and Watershed Guardian Organizations?
It is the dream of the Rivers Alliance for every river in Alabama to have a local organization dedicated to its long-term protection and preservation. The movement has grown rapidly since the Rivers Alliance began its work over 10 years ago.  Today there are more than 55 citizen-based river and watershed groups around Alabama that vary widely in their mission, membership, and level of organization. Some have staff, others are all-volunteer. Some educate communities about their local rivers or lakes, some watchdog polluters for compliance and we all advocate for policies that will lead to a better quality of life in our communities.

How We Help
The Watershed Leadership Program helps Alabama’s watershed guardian organizations organize in their communities, and provides them the tools and training to be effective. We offer organizational development workshops and one-on-one consultation across Alabama. 

Tools We Offer to Assist Your Group

• Annual Watershed Leadership Conference – This three-day conference is packed with workshops on watershed science, watershed policy, and organizational capacity building, all led by local, state, and national experts.
• Watershed Advocate Toolkit (this online toolkit is being developed under Grants, Tools, and Training)
• Grassroots Guardian Gazette and Listserv – Members of this list can receive bimonthly newsletter, action alerts, alerts on funding and workshop opportunities, and relevant news articles.
• Online directory of citizen-based river and watershed organizations, as well as other environmental organizations.
• Technical assistance in understanding and addressing watershed protection issues, state agency regulations, and public comments.
• Sample documents (e.g. bylaws, grant proposals, and strategic plans)
• One-on-one consultation and workshops for start-up groups and member organizations

Why are Local Watershed Guardian Organizations Important?
The Rivers Alliance’s motto is “Water Is Life.”   Water is a resource essential to a community’s long-term health and sustainability.  Protecting this vital resource is carried out most effectively by the citizens who depend on the riches and resources of their local watersheds in order to survive and thrive. 

Here are just a few examples of why local citizens are essential to  resource protection:

• You know and apply the lessons of their community’s past and provide a vision for its future.
• You are the voice for local waterways.
• You can bring together different interests for a common purpose.
• An organized group makes a larger impact than individuals acting alone.

Through the Watershed Leadership Program, the Rivers Alliance partners with one of Alabama’s greatest resources – its citizens – to protect and restore the state’s greatest natural resource – our rivers and streams. Get involved today to make a positive, lasting difference for Alabama’s waters. The Alabama Rivers Alliance is here to help you get started on your journey to save Alabama’s rivers.