Summary

Description

The Water Quality Act of 1987 established the National Estuary Program, which has as one of its objectives the formation of citizen groups for monitoring the quality of coastal waters. One such group that formed to monitor Mobile Bay was called Baywatch. Under the guidance of Dr. George Crozier of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), and in association with the Mobile Field Office of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), citizens were trained to collect and analyze water samples once a week between 10am and 2pm for 50 stations located in the Mobile Bay delta, Mississippi Sound, Weeks Bay, Perdido Bay, and several local streams. Parameters measured included water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, air temperature, and rainfall. Water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were measured from both surface and bottom waters where possible. The purpose of this study was to provide a better understanding of the processes affecting the waters of coastal Alabama.