Water

An aerial view of a curved coastline with sand mounds dotted through the water. Homes are visible on the spit of land in the background.

Marsh insurance
Can shoreline restoration rein in rising flood insurance prices?

Plant Barry's buildings and smokestacks are visible in the distance. In front of them is a field with large power lines across it.

Changes at EPA mean uncertainty for dealing with Alabama coal ash

A pile of empty oyster shell halves.

Pearls of wisdom
From gardens to genomes, state and conservation groups continue trying new approaches to oyster restoration

A pile of plastic bottles, milk jugs and other plastic waste.

Engineering microplastic solutions
With NOAA grants, two Alabama research teams take aim at Gulf, global plastic pollution

An outdoor water spigot sprays water onto the ground. The spigot shows some rust and weather damage, and the spray of water is uneven, as if there is a blockage in the mouth of the pipe.

Drop by drop
Despite plentiful resources, Alabama may need more water management

A low, slow-moving river, with visible islands and shallow areas, with cities visible on both banks.

Good rivers make good neighbors
Months after Ala., Ga. governors’ agreement, questions remain on whether it will end ‘water wars’

An abandoned brick building sits on a small bend in a river, lifted at least 10 feet above the water line.

Elba dam removal offers possibilities for fish migration, community-building

Two men in a small motorboat, one sitting and one standing, fish on a still lake with the forested shoreline visible behind them.

SHOR Act on the rocks
Fishing advisory bill stalls two years in a row

A man wades in a shallow creek with a sampling cup, gloves and a backpack.

New PFAS testing shows ‘forever’ chemicals throughout Coosa River basin

A meeting room is ringed with easels holding posterboards that describe various aspects of the fish passage project. People mill about the room to look at the boards and discuss with Army Corps of Engineers staff.

Fish migration project keeps swimming upstream
Army Corps of Engineers presents proposed designs to public

The shoreline of Little River. There is no wind or visible current, so the trees on the far shore are reflected nearly perfectly.

When ‘forever’ is everywhere
Samples show PFAS chemicals throughout state waterways

Water flows into a storm drain on the left side of the image. The drain is set in the curb of a street, and some grass is visible above the drain.

When it rains, it floods
FEMA assistance grant is first step in fixing persistent Birmingham stormwater issues

A woman's hands cup a pile of mussel shells, the top one is open facing the camera to show purple insides. In the background, a man in a blue shirt bends down to the water of Paint Rock River.

Mussel mass
Research team aims to discover why freshwater mussels are disappearing

Ripples from a drop of water.

Fighting ‘forever’
Health concerns over PFAS chemicals put in the spotlight

Image shows Millers Ferry Dam's hydroelectric turbines and water flowing from the upper reservoir to the lower river.

River, interrupted
Study could restore fish migration path from Gulf to Cahaba River

An overhead shot, in which a brown river flows through the left side of the image, crossed diagonally by a road bridge. At the top center is the drinking-water intake plant, a series of pumps and buildings. The rest of the frame is trees.

Easement unease
Protection of land around Cahaba River critical to Birmingham drinking water

An overhead shot of Little River. The water is shallow, and many rocks and small rapids can be seen in the river. Dense forests are on either side.

Lifting all boats
Grant brings Alabama water protectors closer together

A sea turtle, seen from behind, in shallow waters with its shell above the water.

For sea turtles, a new opportunity out of tragedy
Alabama using Deepwater Horizon settlement to reduce threats to sea turtles

Several species of blue and brown corals can be seen on the reef, including soft and hard species.

Global reach
Birmingham Zoo staff pursue conservation projects around the world, close to home

‘Absolutely the wrong place’
A proposed Clay quarry could cause decades of consequences for neighbors, local waterways

The invisible problem
Microplastics are clogging our rivers — and have for decades

Planting protection
Living shorelines shield habitats, homes

The turtles next door
Urban Turtle Project studies health, habitats of turtles that call Birmingham home