Black Warrior Riverkeeper

New Ways to Join Waterkeepers Alabama | 03/21/2021

New Ways to Join Waterkeepers Alabama in the Fight for Clean Water Waterkeepers Alabama, a coalition of Waterkeeper organizations protecting watersheds across Alabama, has launched its first social media channels. Anyone interested in promoting cleaner water throughout the state can now follow and interact with Waterkeepers Alabama on its new […]

AmeriCorps Week 2021 | 03/11/2021

AmeriCorps Week: Tribute to Cleanups By Katie Fagan, AmeriCorps Member, Black Warrior Riverkeeper This week is AmeriCorps Week, a time dedicated to highlighting the work of AmeriCorps members throughout the country. Black Warrior Riverkeeper hired me in September as its first AmeriCorps member and joined a large community of organizations, including […]

New Cleanups Partnership with the City of Birmingham | 01/21/2021

New Cleanups Partnership with the City of Birmingham Black Warrior Riverkeeper is proud to announce our new partnership with the City of Birmingham to help clean streets where rain will otherwise carry litter into storm drains, then local creeks, and ultimately the Black Warrior River. Our AmeriCorps member, Katie Fagan, […]

MLK Day of Service 2021 | 01/18/2021

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s MLK Day of Service By Katie Fagan, AmeriCorps Member, Black Warrior Riverkeeper The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” In 1994, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day became a national day encouraging people […]

Maintaining Focus on Your Water | 11/22/2020

Maintaining Focus on Your Water I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. My heart goes out to all those dealing with any loss or adversity. 2020 has obviously been unique and challenging for everyone. Amidst the pandemic, divisive elections, and civil unrest, it is […]

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Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. We are a citizen-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting clean water for the sake of public health, recreation, and wildlife habitat throughout our patrol area, the Black Warrior River watershed. This vital river basin is entirely contained within Alabama, America’s leading state for freshwater biodiversity.

Patrolling waterways, educating the public, and holding polluters accountable has made us an important proponent of clean water throughout the basin. Our staff identifies and addresses pollution problems while increasing public awareness. We are a proud member of Waterkeeper Alliance. Please contact us to report pollution and to inquire about volunteer projects, donations, educational presentations, or public events.

The Black Warrior River drains parts of 17 Alabama counties. The area the river drains, its watershed, covers 6,276 square miles in Alabama and measures roughly 300 miles from top to bottom. The Black Warrior River watershed is home to over 1 million residents and contains 16,145.89 miles of mapped streams. Its headwaters consist of the Sipsey, Mulberry, and Locust Forks. Once these rivers merge west of Birmingham, the Black Warrior River proper forms the border of Jefferson and Walker counties. Near Tuscaloosa, the river flows out of the rocky Cumberland Plateau and enters the sandy East Gulf Coastal Plain, forming the border of Greene and Hale counties in the Black Belt. At Demopolis the Black Warrior flows into the Tombigbee River towards Mobile Bay.