Black Warrior Riverkeeper

Katie Holmes joins our team | 09/30/2021

Katie Holmes joins our team Welcome Katie Holmes, Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s new AmeriCorps member! From October 1 through August 31, Katie will assist Katie Fagan, outreach coordinator, and Charles Scribner, executive director, with outreach and volunteer engagement, especially through litter cleanups. For more information on Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s volunteer opportunities, […]

20th Anniversary Timeline | 09/24/2021

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s 20th Anniversary begins 9/25! Check out our new timeline of “Watershed Moments” since 2001: blackwarriorriver.org/timeline/ Many thanks to our supporters for propelling us to this milestone!

Earthbound’s Earthfest 2021 | 08/26/2021

9/18/2021 update: Due to the forecast, we will not be having Earthbound’s Earthfest tomorrow. We are so grateful for Earthbound and Avondale Brewing Company quickly agreeing to reschedule for Sunday, October 10, 2PM to sundown! See you then. Earthbound’s Earthfest Celebrates Black Warrior Riverkeeper on September 19 For Immediate Release: […]

Tyson Fish Kill | 08/11/2021

Tyson Fish Kill Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s 8/11/21 update: Our statement on today’s Tyson pollution settlement: “The state of Alabama’s $3M settlement with Tyson over the June 2019 wastewater spill at their Hanceville rendering plant and the resulting Mulberry Fork fish kill is certainly a better outcome than ADEM could have […]

Exciting Growth | 08/02/2021

Exciting Growth at Black Warrior Riverkeeper Dear Black Warrior Riverkeeper supporters, Last week I finished my term as Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s first AmeriCorps member. I am excited to announce that I joined Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s staff today, August 2, as Outreach Coordinator! I had such an amazing experience as an AmeriCorps […]

Click here for news archive

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.