Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Inc.

Mission:
The mission of Black Warrior Riverkeeper is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries.

Specific Issues:
We focus on point-source discharges and clean water act violations from wastewater treatment plants, coal mines, and other potential violators. We are also trying to reduce Mercury levels discharged. To report pollution, contact Nelson Brooke, your Black Warrior Riverkeeper, at nbrooke@blackwarriorriver.org or 205-458-0095.

Newsletter/Magazine:
Email Charles Scribner at cscribner@blackwarriorriver.org to receive our newsletter, or go to the "newsletter" section of our website. Additionally, check out the homepage and "news" sections of our website for more news.

Affiliations:
Waterkeeper Alliance, Mobile Baykeeper, Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Friends of Hurricane Creek (Hurricane Creekkeeper), Southwings, L.E.A.F., Southern Environmental Law Center, Nonprofit Resource Center of Alabama, Alabama Rivers Alliance, Cahaba River Society, Alabama Environmental Council, Friends of Locust Fork River, and many more.

Comments:
The Mission of Black Warrior RIVERKEEPER, Inc. is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization that serves the needs of over a million people throughout sixteen counties in the heart of Alabama. Monitoring the river and holding industry accountable for their discharged pollutants has made us an important proponent of clean water and public health throughout the watershed. Founded in 2001 by David Whiteside, our full-time employees include Nelson Brooke - Executive Director and Riverkeeper (patrolman and spokesman), John Keeling - Staff Attorney, John Kinney - Program Director, and Charles Scribner - Director of Development. We also benefit tremendously from the services of in-house Prosecuting Attorney, Mark Martin. Alabama Environmental Council's 2007 Conservation Organization of the Year, Black Warrior Riverkeeper is governed by a board of directors and is a proud member of Waterkeeper Alliance.

The first Riverkeeper patrol boat was launched by fishermen and their friends who mobilized in 1966 to challenge polluters on the Hudson River. That Riverkeeper’s contributions to the Hudson’s amazing recovery has inspired the creation of 162 locally funded and controlled "Waterkeeper" organizations on waterways across the country and the world. Waterkeepers (including Alabama's Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Hurricane Creekkeeper and Mobile Baykeeper) patrol local waterways, respond to citizen complaints, and enforce environmental laws. Waterkeeper Alliance was founded in 2000 to connect and support local Waterkeeper organizations, while allowing them full control over their finances and administrative decisions. The Alliance offers legal, scientific, and administrative advice, provides networking opportunities, and often advocates for issues common to multiple local Waterkeepers (such as mercury pollution - a major issue in the Black Warrior River basin).

News Update:
A fundraiser concert will be held at Bottletree (3719 3rd Ave S., Birmingham) on Thursday, June 5th, 2008, from 8 p.m. until midnight. The concert will feature Rollin' in the Hay and One Eyed Mary; $10 tickets at the door or at http://www.thebottletree.com benefit Riverkeeper’s efforts to protect the Black Warrior and Birmingham/Tuscaloosa drinking water! 

Black Warrior Riverkeeper has launched a campaign to ask its 1,000+ members, 12,000+ supporters on MySpace.com and Facebook.com, and the general public to refrain from buying cypress mulch. The lower part of the Black Warrior River watershed is known for its beautiful and ecologically vital cypress wetlands. Riverkeeper hopes that gardeners will choose to save our cypress swamps by purchasing mulch made from sustainable resources. You can help by asking Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, and other stores and businesses that sell, buy, or use cypress mulch to boycott this product. In times of drought conditions, mulch will play a vital role in people's gardens and yards. Cypress mulch is being harvested from cypress wetlands which have taken hundreds to thousands of years to grow. There are sustainable alternatives you can use such as pine bark, pine straw, lawn clippings, and recycled tire chips. Black Warrior Riverkeeper is spreading this message with fellow members of Waterkeeper Alliance: Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper & Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. The New York Times ran Waterkeeper Alliance's fliers opposing the use of cypress mulch. More information is available at: http://saveourcypress.org/.

John J. Keeling has joined Black Warrior Riverkeeper as the non-profit organization’s first full-time Staff Attorney, starting March 4, 2008. As Staff Attorney, Keeling will work alongside Mark Martin, who will remain on contract as Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s in-house Prosecuting Attorney, the position Martin has filled since 2001. Keeling's duties include researching legal remedies to pollution issues, assisting with review of pollution permits, recruiting and assisting legal volunteers and interns, collaborating with outside attorneys on cases, working on settlements and litigation, and many other tasks. Keeling is a native of Gadsden, Alabama where he developed a zeal for the outdoors. This enthusiasm has lead him to camping adventures in over 20 of our national parks, ornithological trips throughout the country, and canoeing explorations down Alabama’s rivers and streams in search of artifacts. Keeling graduated from The University of Alabama in 2002 with a degree in Commerce and Business Administration. He began practicing law in 2006 after graduating from Tulane University Law School.

Listing Last Updated - May 2008

Alabama Grassroots Clearinghouse last updated May 14, 2008

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