The event will be held at Harbert Hall, located at Birmingham-Southern College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is being held in cities across Alabama to create awareness for the need of a comprehensive plan for the water management of the state.
Each symposium focuses on a specific aspect of the water-planning process. This is extremely important because Alabama is the only state in the surrounding region without a comprehensive statewide water management plan.
“This is one of the nine symposiums that have happened thus far and will focus a great deal on riparian rights, which means talking to land owners about allowing their water to be used by others,” said Cindy Lower, the executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance.
Speakers include Jenny Hoffner of the Clean Water Supply Program, Aris Georgakakos, director of the Georgia Water Resources Institute and the keynote speaker, Senator Arthur Orr.
The Alabama Rivers Alliance is a nonprofit organization that invests its time and funds into protecting the state’s water. Fifty different grassroots organizations across the state are woven together to create this alliance and protect the 145,100 miles of streams and rivers that make up Alabama.
Engineering majors and political science majors will get hands-on experience in what it is like to work with the environment and the government hand-in-hand.
“It is important to get involved as an engineering student because protecting our waterways involves communication between mechanical, civil and electrical engineers, especially as water grows in popularity as a power source,” said James Ash, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
