Ask a wise man or woman “How do we know the value of a well?” and they will likely reply with the old aphorism, “When the well runs dry.” It’s an old story, yet like all good stories, one that bears repeating. If one only looks briefly at the Black Warrior River Watershed, its true value becomes more than apparent. It becomes irrefutable.
Yet there is no doubt the Black Warrior system, with it’s many watersheds, tributaries, dams and locks that together constitute one of the longest channelized waterways in the United States is often overlooked and undervalued by the very people living within the watershed. A major supplier of drinking water for Birmingham and surrounding communities, in times of recent drought the alarming prospect of several long-proposed dams bubble up to the surface of public discourse. This threat of unnecessary and damaging dams on the Duck River and especially the Locust Fork River—one of Alabama’s few remaining free-flowing rivers and a priceless treasure for the state—would be a disaster.
Black Warrior River Subwatersheds, courtesy Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Looking at the Black Warrior River Watershed and you see thousands of proverbial “wells,” from scenic little spots that few have heard of to newly recognized treasures like Hurricane Creek. You see the lower Black Warrior River, a waterway that does the unglamorous work that Alabamians require of it, transporting industrial goods like coal, chemicals, coke wood, and steel up and down the length of our state to ports, cities and countries beyond. You see the unparallel beauty of the Locus Fork, a pristine stretch to cherish. You see a great variety within one watershed that means so many things to so many different people in Alabama. Yet you do not, except among the knowing few, see a greater consciousness among the public that says this is a treasure to protect for generations.
The obvious goal of this book is to begin to build a greater unified understanding and appreciation of the Black Warrior River Watershed in its entirety among Alabamians so that they might better realize the enormous biodiversity of the watershed and thus be more invested in the watershed’s long-term protection. One cannot expect someone to value what they have until they are aware of and understand its scope and true worth: you understand the value of your well when the well runs dry.
It’s a valid guess that most Alabamians do not view the Black Warrior in its entirety but rather know their local forks, creeks, swimming and fishing holes, lakes, and individual waterways. Our mission is to change this perception, allowing the public to see a greater whole. This, we think, will be a valuable tool in protecting and restoring the entire system for a clean water resource, recreational uses, as well as a healthy aquatic environment.
