Locust Fork Forever Wild Nomination

Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Friends of the Locust Fork River Submit Forever Wild Nomination

3200-acre property owned by Birmingham Water Works Board on the Locust Fork proposed for conservation

For Release: April 20, 2009

Birmingham, AL – Last week, Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Friends of the Locust Fork River submitted a nomination for 3,200 acres along the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River in Jefferson County & Blount County to be protected as public property by the Alabama Forever Wild Program. The property, currently owned by the Birmingham Water Works Board, has been for sale since the beginning of April. This opportunity arose after the BWWB chose to discontinue longstanding plans for a dam on the river (to create a water supply reservoir). Now that this project is no longer going to occur, the threat to the Locust Fork’s free-flow is no longer, and the time is right to protect this property. A conservation purchase by Forever Wild could help this gateway to the Locust Fork become a resource for current and future generations.

The Locust Fork is one of Alabama’s longest remaining free-flowing rivers. It is a great place to swim, canoe and kayak, fish, photograph, watch wildlife, and more. The river is also home to a number of rare aquatic species such as fish, mussels, snails, turtles, and salamanders. Protection of this property would provide watershed protection that is vital for both water quality and wildlife habitat. A Forever Wild acquisition will provide much needed public access for the many recreational users that visit the Locust Fork each year.

Click on the following links for more information about this proposal:

Forever Wild Nomination

Aerial map of the property

Topo map of the property

Rare species of the Locust Fork River

Organizations supporting the nomination

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Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. The Alabama Environmental Council’s 2007 Conservation Organization of the Year, and the American Canoe Association’s 2008 Green Paddle Award winner, we are a proud grassroots member of Waterkeeper Alliance. Visit our website at www.blackwarriorriver.org. Contact Nelson Brooke, Riverkeeper & Executive Director: (205) 458-0095, [email protected].

The Friends of the Locust Fork River is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to preserving the integrity of the Locust Fork River in its natural free-flowing state, and to that end, the lifestyle of the community which surrounds it. Visit our website: http://www.flfr.org/. Contact Sam Howell, President: [email protected].