WAWA's Darryl Haddock Honored by UCR at Annual Patron Dinner

Darryl Haddock, Environmental Education Director for the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) was recently awarded the River Partner Award at the 17th Annual Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) Patron Dinner Program. Darryl was chosen as this year's River Partner Award recipient for his dedication over many years to help restore Northwest Atlanta's Proctor Creek Watershed and for his efforts to recruit and transport inner city youth to the Elachee Nature Center to participate in the UCR Lake Lanier Aquatic Learning Center.  

In partnership with the UCR,  Darryl has co-facilitated numerous Proctor Creek cleanups--- removing over 5 tons of trash from this impaired urban stream. Through Darryl's leadership WAWA has also co-hosted rain barrel construction and distribution workshops in the Proctor and Utoy Creek Watersheds, co-hosted the first-ever Proctor Creek Community Day (2010), and  participated in the Neighbor Watch Creek Monitoring program. As a part of the monitoring efforts Darryl collects weekly water samples from 3 locations along the 9 mile Proctor Creek to test for E.coli bacteria.

Congratulations, Darryl! WAWA is proud of you!

WAWA and Community Partners Tackle Illegal Dumping in Northwest Atlanta's Proctor Creek Watershed

On September 17, 2011, over 130 volunteers from Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines, with technical assistance from the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance and the Fulton County Department of Public Works, assisted with the Annual Rivers Alive Proctor Creek Cleanup in Northwest Atlanta's Grove Park. Grove Park falls on the western edge of the Beltline and sits on top of the main stem of Proctor Creek as well as the Turkey-Foot Tributary that has historically been a site for illegal dumping. The volunteers picked up over 900 lbs of debris and 37 tires from the creek in order to beautify the area and properly dispose of non-point source pollution. The volunteers were enthusiastic about making such a large improvement to the area. Many also look forward to participating in future cleanups as well as advocating for stricter illegal dumping controls in order to prevent these illegal dumps from recurring.

Join WAWA for the 9/11 Days of Service

Join WAWA, Hands on Atlanta, and volunteers from the Weather Channel as we honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001 by rolling up our sleeves in service at the Outdoor Activity Center on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 9am - noon. Gather in with other community volunteers and friends of the OAC as we mulch trails, remove invasive plants, prep garden beds, and complete other meaningful projects to spruce up the OAC grounds for the fall!
 

The OAC is located at 1442 Richland Rd. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30310. Please send an e-mail to info.wawaonline@gmail.com or call 404-752-5385 to RSVP.

Final Proctor Creek Watershed Stakeholders' Meeting on Today

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)  and the City of Atlanta will host a public meeting on August 24, 2011 from 2 – 4 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the results of activities undertaken in 2011 to identify sources of E.coli bacteria in Northwest Atlanta's Proctor Creek Watershed. Meeting attendees will hear a presentation about the results of the field collection and analysis of E.coli samples and take part in a discussion of what the next steps should be to continue improving water quality in the watershed.

WAWA and partners like the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and the Community Improvement Association have been a part of this important project.

The meeting will be held at:
The City of Atlanta - Dept. of Watershed Management
72 Marietta St, 6th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303

Please attend to learn about these critical issues impacting our community and to share your ideas on achieving a cleaner, greener, healthier, and more sustainable Proctor Creek Watershed.

WAWA's Watershed Protection and Environmental Justice Work Featured in National Online Magazine

WAWA Volunteers Clean a Segment of Proctor Creek

WAWA was featured in a recent article published in The Root, a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of African American perspectives.

The article, Water Shortage: 6 Things to Know sheds some light on America’s growing water crisis and what communities are doing to address the issues.

Environmental Education Director, Darryl Haddock was quoted in the article and talked about the water quality problems faced by West Atlanta and other predominantly African American communities that result from aging infrastructure, outdated treatment processes, and illegal dumping.

The article further alludes to an important community victory for environmental justice that was achieved in the 1990s when plans for a combined sewage overflow (CSO) facility was defeated in Southwest Atlanta’s John A. White Park.

Read the entire article here.

To support WAWA’s watershed protection and environmental justice work in West Atlanta Neighborhoods (Proctor, Utoy, and Sandy Creek Watersheds), please visit our Memebership and Donation Page or Volunteer Page.  Please also check our Upcoming Events Page to find out about WAWA's latest happenings and opportunities to get involved with our work.

Save Water and Money: Rain Barrel Workshop - Fri. August 19th

Georgia’s historic drought and ongoing water supply concerns have continued to bring attention to the importance of water conservation and water-smart landscape and gardening practices. People every-where are seeking ways to minimize their water use, yet maintain an attractive landscape.  Rain barrels can be part of the solution. A properly installed and maintained rain barrel can save a homeowner up to 1300 gallons of water during the three summer months alone.

In collaboration with Keeping It Wild and the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, WAWA will host a Rain Barrel Workshop on Friday, August 19, 2011 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Outdoor Activity Center. The workshop, which includes an animated 40-minute presentation, will cover: water issues in metro Atlanta, how to save water in your home and garden, and how to install and maintain a rain barrel. Participants will receive a 60-gallon rain barrel that they will assemble and take home that night.

The cost of the workshop is $35 and includes the rain barrel. Space is limited so registration is required.  To register or to receive more information about the workshop, send an e-mail to info.wawaonline@gmail.com or call 404-752-5385.

The Outdoor Activity Center is located at 1442 Richland Rd. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30310.

Final OAC Public Meeting - Saturday, August 13, 2011

 Join WAWA and Park Pride for an OAC Park Visioning Public Meeting on Saturday, August 13th from 10am - noon at the Outdoor Activity Center. Don't miss this opportunity to share your hopes and dreams for the way that the OAC greenspace is planned for the next 20 years. We'll review draft plans and maps for a new and improved OAC created from community input over the last several months. Get involved and make your voice heard! All neighbors, friends, and supporters of the OAC are welcome. Light refrehments will be served. 

The Outdoor Activity Center is located at 1442 Richland Rd. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310.