Weeks Bay Partners for Clean Water in Alabama

For the communities around Alabama’s Weeks Bay Reserve, clean water is a shared priority that unites residents, researchers, and government partners. The Reserve is at the center of that effort, providing training and technical assistance that keeps those waters healthy and supporting partnerships strong.

The stakes are significant. Weeks Bay is designated an Outstanding National Resource Water, one of the most pristine and ecologically valuable in the nation. It serves as a critical nursery for shrimp, blue crab, bay anchovy, and many other fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. Those species underpin Gulf commercial fisheries that generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Alabama every year.

When periodic spikes in bacteria levels, particularly E. coli, began raising concerns about human health and fish nursery habitat, the Reserve’s Coastal Training Program stepped up to help. Through Alabama Water Watch, a statewide community science program, the Reserve trains volunteers and partners to measure key water quality indicators, including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and bacteria levels. That hands-on training has built a capable, community-rooted monitoring network that produces the data decision-makers need to protect fisheries and public health.

“It has been inspiring to see so many dedicated individuals and organizations unite around the shared purpose of safeguarding the future of these waters,” says Johanna Gertsch, the Reserve’s training and engagement coordinator.

As concerns over bacterial contamination have grown, these monitoring efforts have expanded. Trained volunteers now conduct routine sampling alongside targeted “blitzes,” or coordinated events that capture water quality data before and after rainfall to determine whether runoff is driving bacterial spikes. 

“Preliminary data suggests the bacteria spikes are the result of nonpoint source pollution. We are working now to narrow down the various sources and discover if the spikes are from human waste, potentially from aging septic systems, or animal waste which could be due to agricultural or pet waste runoff,”  says Gertsch. “But identifying the problem is just the first step. Once we know the cause, the Reserve and its partners will then focus on turning that data into action, developing watershed-specific solutions that address pollution at its source before it reaches the river and bay.

In support of this, Reserve staff have joined forces with a wide network of collaborators, including Auburn University, the Town of Magnolia Springs, Baldwin County, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Alabama Department of Public Health, USDA, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Mobile Baykeeper, the City of Foley, the Town of Summerdale, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, and Alabama Water Watch. Together, they are moving from monitoring to solutions, tracing pollution sources and building the partnerships needed to protect this watershed for the long term.

“The partnerships we’ve built give us real confidence that we can get ahead of these issues,” says Gertsch. “Our goal is to make sure that the communities, the fisheries, and the habitats that depend on clean water in Weeks Bay continue to thrive for generations to come.”