08/31/2026
Defending Rivers in Alabama happens in all sorts of locations from local governments to convention centers to the banks of our rivers! Last week, ARA staff had their toes in all of those fronts.
We had the immense honor of joining Paul Johnson and the Alabama Department Of Conservation And Natural Resources team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Beagle Charitable Foundation, The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, and state leaders Senator Steve Livingston and Representative Mike Kirkland to reintroduce endangered mussels on the Paint Rock River. This awesome group helped Paul reintroduce Pale Lilliput, Tennessee Bean, and Cumberland Moccasinshell to the Paint Rock and, as you can tell from the photos, a splendid time was had by all!
We were also in Lowndes County last week alongside the community fighting against a new proposed data center in their neighborhood. While Alabama's cities and towns continue to discuss how to regulate these facilities requiring unprecedented energy use and water impacts, we will continue to work closely with community leaders to help advocate for common sense regulations.
And earlier in the week, we were with other partners from Alabama in Washington DC at PolicyLink's Summit 2026 to convene with other leaders across the country to focus on critically important issues like water and infrastructure to help develop a Governing for All Blueprint: one that reflects both the urgency of this moment and the practical realities of legal, regulatory, and structural reform.
We love a busy week protecting our rivers and streams!
