News

November 19, 2021

Giving Tuesday 2021: Water Is Life

Cahaba River Society, Alabama Rivers Alliance, Greater Birmingham Ministries and SWEET Alabama are partnering to focus #GivingTuesday efforts to help people in the Birmingham metro area directly impacted by water inequality.

Clean, healthy, affordable drinking water is a human right essential to life — and there are people in our communities who are denied access to this right because they can’t afford to pay high water bills. There are families who have had their water shut off or face that threat – a serious health and economic problem at any time, but especially in a pandemic.

November 09, 2021

Joint Statement From Organizations to the Birmingham Water Works Board Regarding Rate Evaluation Process and Proposed Rate Increase

We recommend the BWWB be proactive in seeking federal funds to meet system needs, to minimize
rate increases on ratepayers, and to factor in potential federal funding already available or in the
approval process as part of your rate evaluations. We urge the Board to research models for water
rates and system financing that ensure equity and encourage water efficiency.

October 14, 2021

Cahaba Current: Flooding spotlights vulnerabilities

The scale of the rainfall on October 6 and the swiftness, level and power of the flooding it caused has been called “unprecedented.” Yet flooding and erosive damage to property and infrastructure has been increasing in our region for years, as development replaces forests and outdated stormwater systems prevent groundwater absorption and send more and more runoff gushing into drains and creeks. In fact, we’ve had two flash flood emergencies just in 2021, and multiple other deluge rains this calendar year.

September 21, 2021

Meet the Fry-Down 2021 Teams

Meet the teams who are frying down to protect and restore the Cahaba River! Catch some fish-cooking tips along the way. These folks are working hard to try and win this year’s competition, so be sure to vote for your favorite.

September 15, 2021

Cahaba Current: September 2021

Read this month’s edition to find out about virtual Cahaba learning, a victory in protecting our headwaters, how you’re helping get the Cahaba safe for swimming, and more.

August 17, 2021

12th Annual Cahaba River Fry-Down returns to virtual – Cahaba River Society prioritizes community safety for catfish-cooking competition & festival

The Cahaba River Society will host its 12th annual Cahaba River Fry-Down Catfish Cookoff and Festival virtually in 2021. While the nonprofit hoped to bring the community back together in-person this year, the current surge in the pandemic has required a return to the online format that made the 2020 festival the widest-reaching event in the organization’s history.

August 10, 2021

Help protect the Cahaba for swimming!

We’re looking for photos of you, your family, or friends swimming in the Cahaba or its tributaries to show that water quality standards must be upgraded to ensure they are

Cahaba Current July 2021
July 30, 2021

Cahaba Current: July 2021

Learn about what our team has been working on this summer; find out what fish are unsafe to eat; read Cahaba River Society’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement; help get lead out of drinking water; join us for the Cahaba River Fry-Down 2021, & more!

July 23, 2021

Do you fish in the Cahaba? Here’s what you need to know about where fish is unsafe to eat in 2021.

Fishing is a popular activity along the Cahaba and its tributaries, and many anglers rely on this food source to supplement their family’s diet. These people deserve to be able to rely on the fact that the fish they are eating are safe.  Right now, it is unlikely that consuming fish from the Cahaba River more than one time per month is safe. In some places on the Cahaba, the Alabama Department of Public Health recommend not eating any fish.

June 15, 2021

Groups File Appeal to Permanently Protect Land Held by Birmingham Water Works Board

Cahaba River Society and Cahaba Riverkeeper, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, have filed a notice of appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court in ongoing efforts to enforce a settlement agreement intended to protect land crucial to safeguarding a major source of Birmingham’s drinking water.