Stricter water usage rules could come Tuesday after the Alabama Drought Monitoring and Impact Group meets. Much of the focus in Birmingham has been on extremely low water levels at Lake Purdy.
A check of the Cahaba River also shows some very serious conditions. At risk, is one of the most bio-diverse rivers in the country. The river now looks like a creek in spots with rocks covering areas that should be covered with water.
“Only a couple of times in history has it gotten this low,” says Mitch Reid with the Alabama Rivers Alliance. He says it’s worse than the “monster drought” of 2007. Only shallow pools remain for the fish, snails and other wildlife.
The Bibb Voice encourages everyone to conserve water.
Here are some helpful tips:
*Turn off the water when you brush your teeth.
*When shaving put a small amount in the sink to rinse the razor instead of running water.
*Fix toilet leaks. To see if you have one, put a drop of food coloring in the tank. Wait 25 minutes and if the coloring is in your bowl you have a leak.
Additional Links: Alabama Drought Monitor Drought Emergency Continues:
Birmingham and other cities and counties north of Bibb continue to abuse the Cahaba. Centreville is blessed to have an abundant supply of water from an underground source. Conserving water is always a good idea however our water conservation does not effect our Cahaba River. Back in 2007 my dad (over 80 years old a that time) told that he was seeing dry rocks in the Cahaba that he had never seen before in his lifetime. As Jefferson and Shelby continue to use too much water out of the Cahaba we might soon be able to walk across the river bed without getting our feet wet.