Pollutants of all kinds are being directly discharged into the Black Warrior River and its tributaries by industries, mines, municipalities, and private operations.  The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System under the Clean Water Act of 1972 called for a gradual phasing out of industrial point source discharges, but we have seen an increase, not a decrease.  Please visit the "Legal Docket" section of this website for information about the 12,000+ Clean Water Act violations that Black Warrior RIVERKEEPER has addressed with legal actions against point source discharge violators.  These polluters chose to violate their permits on a persistent and ongoing basis, allowing the degradation of the receiving stream.  These violations were committed under the watch of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, an agency slow to react and enforce.    

To view maps showing industrial point source dischargers and their impact on the watershed click here.

© Nelson Brooke 2005