Surface Water - Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Summary: BWC River Basins
The main NPS concerns within the Sipsey Fork CU were pasture, animal husbandry,
mining, and forestry. NPS concerns within the U. Black Warrior R. CU were limited to
sedimentation, mining, and forestry. Aquaculture was concentrated in the Blackbelt region
of the L. Black Warrior R. (Fig. 11).
Over 40% of the sub-watersheds in the Cahaba River, Mulberry Fork, and Locust Fork
CUs were at risk to impairment from urban and point sources (Table 3, Fig. 12).
Table 2. Number of sub-watersheds with moderate or high ratings for each NPS category
Overall
Potential
Animal
husbandry
Cataloging Unit Total #
subwatersheds
Aquaculture
Row
crop
Pasture Mining Forestry Sediment
Impaired
(Reported)
Cahaba River 17 2 0 0 1 5 1 2 (9) 8
Mulberry Fork 20 13 10 0 7 10 8 15 (17) 15
Sipsey Fork 13 4 6 0 1 7 4 4 (9) 1
Locust Fork 15 5 4 0 9 9 4 5 (15) 6
U. Black Warrior R. 12 4 0 0 0 0 6 4 (5) 9
L. Black Warrior R. 19 4 0 6 9 7 0 4 (17) 3
Table 3. Number of sub-watersheds with moderate or high ratings for each point source
or urban category
Category
Total # subwatersheds
Overall
Potential
% Urban Development Septic tank
failure
Cahaba River 17 7 8 7 5
Mulberry Fork 20 9 5 5 11
Sipsey Fork 13 2 1 1 5
Locust Fork 15 7 8 6 7
U. Black Warrior R. 12 3 4 4 1
L. Black Warrior R. 19 5 7 3 3
Historical data/studies: The Black Warrior and Cahaba River Basins are among the most
well-studied river basins in Alabama (Fig. 13). Twenty-two water quality assessment
projects and programs have been conducted since 1998 by ADEM, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA), the Geological Survey of Alabama (GSA), U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), University of Alabama (UA and UAB), Jefferson County, and Samford
University (SU).
Data from these projects and programs include both monitored and evaluated
assessments. Monitored assessments are based on chemical, physical, and/or biological
data collected using commonly accepted and well-documented methods. Evaluated
assessments are based on observed conditions, limited water quality data, water quality
data older than 5 years, or estimated impacts from observed or suspected activities.
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