Alabama Rivers Alliance

10/14/2026

Charles Miller, policy director for the Alabama Rivers Alliance, said he and other attendees of the meeting were surprised by the sudden vote and expected more public notice for it.

“Frankly, I’m kind of still in shock,” he told AL.com after the meeting. “Every single action that was taken today kind of gives the appearance of an attempt to shepherd something through as quickly as possible with as little public debate as possible – I mean, none in this case – without cluing people into what’s actually going on.”

https://www.al.com/business/2026/10/lowndes-county-approves-11b-in-tax-breaks-for-data-center-in-10-minute-meeting.html

Cloverleaf Infrastructure plans to start building Project Red Clay, which has been highly protested by local residents, at the start of 2027.

10/14/2026

We are super excited to welcome Payton Stantis to the ARA team as our new Operations Manager! In this new role, Payton will support the administrative and financial operations of our growing organization, as we get ready to celebrate our 30th year defending rivers throughout Alabama.

A lifelong Alabamian and self-described river rat, Payton is no stranger to the river movement as she also serves as vice-president and docent for Friends of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. She is working toward certification as an Alabama Master Naturalist. Payton is also the managing editor of EcoTheo Review, and her writing has won awards in creative nonfiction and memoir. She lives in Pinson, Alabama with her family, two wild mutts, a flock of chickens and ducks, and one tarantula, and spends her free time reading, baking, hiking, and paddling Alabama’s waterways.

We can't wait for you to meet her!

10/01/2026

JUST PUBLISHED: Are there rumblings of a data center coming to your community in Alabama? Do you want to have a voice in if or how they come to your community? Check out the new Data Center Toolkit for Alabama communities! Alabama Rivers Alliance, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Coosa Riverkeeper, National Parks Conservation Association and SELC collaborated to bring communities this toolkit which includes: how to advocate against a data center, how to pass an ordinance, examples of commonsense guardrails to protect our water resources, and so much more.

Share with your neighbors and friends and let us know if we can help you learn more about a data center in your neighborhood!

09/25/2026

The Cahaba River is home to an iconic botanical oddball that can only grow in the middle of a rushing, rocky river. The beloved Hymenocallis coronaria (or, Cahaba lily, to those who know), has inspired thousands of plant lovers all over the nation, but none more than the folks who have found themselves Rooted in the River, spending their summer days protecting this unique plant and the wild waters it calls home.

See this film + four more TONIGHT at the Southern Exposure Films World Premiere! in Birmingham and all over the South after that!

09/25/2026

Grace and Ethan loved talking with Wiat CBS 42 last night about their two films premiering TONIGHT at the Southern Exposure Films World Premiere!

Alabama's 42+ Evenings | Southern Exposure Film Premiere

09/22/2026

Thank you to Bham Now for sharing Southern Exposure Films premiere with your readers!

“Each year, the Southern Exposure Films highlight emerging issues and shines a light on stories that deserve to be seen, while highlighting the people who are dedicated to protecting Alabama’s awe-inspiring biodiversity. The world premiere is a chance to experience these stories together for the first time, as well as an opportunity to connect with organizations and advocates from across the state who are working to protect the special places that make Alabama unique.” - Kelly Marshall, ARA's Deputy Director

🎬 FREE FILM NIGHT IN BIRMINGHAM: Five brand-new documentaries about Alabama's wild coast, Cahaba lilies and hidden aquifers premiere Sept. 25 at The Altamont School — snacks, drinks and a filmmaker Q&A included.

09/21/2026

Every single day, the sun provides Alabamians with more energy than we could ever use - all for free! So why aren’t we using more of it? As solar energy takes off around the world, Alabama is left behind, with most still using dirty fossil fuels to power our communities. Reckoning with the Sun explores the exciting possibilities of harnessing the sun to meet increasing demand, and the complicated choices that come with it. Can we make room for solar without giving up the wetlands, waterways and wildlife that make Alabama special?

See this film + four more at the Southern Exposure Films World Premiere! September 25 in Birmingham and all over the South after that!

09/16/2026

Along the Tombigbee River, the small town of McIntosh, Alabama, has lived for generations in the shadow of massive chemical plants. Residents claim they have been sickened through both decades of exposure to legacy chemicals in the environment and direct exposure from modern leaks. Now, as environmental protections for air and water are being rolled back at both the state and federal level, McIntosh residents are left with even fewer options to protect their health and their community. Directed by Anna Lueck

See CHEMICAL TOWN + four more films at the Southern Exposure Films World Premiere! September 25 in Birmingham!

09/14/2026

Join us on Alabama’s Dauphin Island, where dedicated scientists and conservationists are working to protect some of the coast’s most vulnerable residents – our ground nesting birds and turtles. We meet a brand-new-to-this-world Snowy Plover, as she takes her first steps in the sand, and we trudge through that same sand searching for hidden Diamondback Terrapin nests. We’ll meet the special people working together to keep Alabama’s Gulf Coast a haven for humans and critters alike. See Alabama's Wild Coast + four more at the World Premiere of the NEW Southern Exposure Films September 25 in Birmingham! Learn more at www.AlabamaRivers.org/SE2026

09/11/2026

It's been another great Alabama Water Resources Conference with University faculty, staff, graduate students, Extension agents, state and federal agencies, local municipalities and utilities, private consultants, other non profits and more!

Cindy spoke on the Agricultural Water Policy Panel and Charles gave an update on state and local water policy throughout Alabama. V presented her poster "Drone Based Identification of Onsite Wastewater Systems and Signs of Septic Failure" and Abigail met many of the fantastic folks working together to protect Alabama's water resources!

Attendees also got a super sneak peak of the upcoming Southern Exposure film about groundwater, and ARAs work, including the Alabama data center map, got shout outs in multiple other presentations throughout the conference.

We already can't wait for next year!