Quick-Fire Quips is a questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the State of Alabama! In this episode, Alabama Public Radio host Baillee Majors talks with Justinn Overton, Executive Director and staff Riverkeeper at Coosa Riverkeeper.
Baillee: Hey, Justinn!
Justinn: Hi, good day!
Baillee: How are you? Happy to chat with you!
Justinn: Oh, I'm doing great. I feel spring coming, so I'm in a good mood.
Baillee: Yeah, excited for that warmer weather, for sure! So, for those who are unfamiliar, what is Coosa Riverkeeper?
Justinn: Coosa Riverkeeper is a river conservation nonprofit organization that works to protect and restore the river here in the great state of Alabama, The River State. Our organization patrols the water, educates the public and advocates for the river in courtrooms, classrooms, boardrooms and everywhere in between.
Baillee: What is your role at Coosa Riverkeeper?
Justinn: As the Executive Director, my role is to serve as the operational and administrative support for our staff, as well as serve as a liaison to our Board of Directors.
As the staff Riverkeeper, I work to speak for the river during advocacy issues or efforts. I use the power of policy and science to advocate for the river to ensure that the people who use it—whether for food, for fun or for protecting their property value—are supported. I work to make sure that the river is protected.
Baillee: You work specifically for Coosa Riverkeeper, but there are other Riverkeepers in Alabama, too. About how many are there?
Justinn: There are 10 Riverkeeper programs in Alabama. Alabama is "The River State," so it’s really fantastic that we have so many organizations working to improve water quality and quantity in Alabama—particularly by using the Waterkeeper model.
Baillee: Are there any social media handles or websites that you can throw out at me [so] that we can let people know more?
Justinn: Absolutely. So, if folks are interested in learning more about Coosa Riverkeeper, they can "swim on over" to coosariver.org. We are also Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook and Instagram.
It’s really awesome; if you're interested in volunteering, or if you're looking for places for you and your family to get out on the water, that is a great place to start.
We also monitor water quality throughout the summer months, so if you're interested in learning about places where you can go swim and want to learn about water quality, we've got that information available every Friday by noon.
(Donations also help Coosa Riverkeeper programs aimed at improving water quality and protect public health. Click here to make a contribution.)
Baillee: Now the introductions are done. Let's go ahead and get you warmed up to answer the questionnaire. And to do that, I want you to say "Quick-Fire Quips" three times fast.
Justinn: Quick-Fire Quips. Quick-Fire Quips. Quick-Fire Quips.
Baillee: All right, here's the first question: What comes to mind when you hear "Alabama"?
Justinn: Lakes.
Baillee: Anyone in particular?
Justinn: For me, it would be Logan Martin Lake.
Baillee: What is the hidden gem in Birmingham that more people should know about?
Justinn: I think more people need to know about the many access points on the Cahaba River. There are so many that people just drive by and don't realize that they're there.
It's both awesome for those of us that know that they're there and like keeping them clean... But I think we can so easily take it for granted that we have so many places that you can access the water.
Baillee: What is your favorite thing about living in Alabama?
Justinn: That is an easy one. My favorite thing about living in Alabama is our waterways. We have so many places to paddle, and I'm a person that spends most of my time outside—personally or professionally—or at least as much as the weather permits.
The fact that there are so many places that I still haven't floated is really exciting. I feel like we live in a literal playground for natural resources.
Baillee: So when you go paddling, what are some essentials that you're bringing with you? What has to be in your bag?
Justinn: Well, first and foremost, a charged phone. That's really important, particularly if you find yourself in an issue where you might need rescue, or if you're lost or something; that's very important.
Bug spray—I am like fertile ground for bugs to eat me alive. You want some sort of bug spray that keeps in mind not only what's in it and how that affects you and your health, but also what's in it and how that can affect the surrounding environment.
A reusable water bottle—always gotta stay hydrated.
A personal flotation device, so a PFD; that's something you need to have in your boat at all times to be water-legal, even in self-powered watercraft like a canoe or a kayak.
Snacks! I mean, come on, we gotta have snacks! I eat and graze, especially when it's hot outside. I love a cold melon.
Baillee: Oh, yes! Plum season is happening right now. I'm so excited. Plums and nectarines. I love it.
Justinn: Right? Exactly, exactly.
Baillee: So, tell me something that you don't like about living in Alabama.
Justinn: I don't like the way that industry has captured our environmental regulators in Alabama. I don't like that too much.
Baillee: What is a bad stereotype or something that people get wrong about Alabama?
Justinn: Oh, my. I think people don't understand how beautiful it is. You know? I think that they think about going to North Carolina because they don't know we have such diversity here, right? Our mountains, obviously our rivers, and our beaches.
They sleep on Alabama because we don't have trout streams, but we certainly have a lot of other types of fish that are super fun to catch here.
Baillee: Let's talk a little bit more about riverkeeping and waterways. How important is it for us to have clean water?
Justinn: I mean, it's essential. It's essential because in Alabama, and in a lot of places across the United States, our rivers are also our source for drinking water. So, whether or not you like to swim, or you have a lake house, or you own property anywhere—waterfront or not—protecting water quality is protecting your health at the source.
Protecting our rivers and lakes is really an extension of protecting our own public health, just as much as it is protecting the critters that live and swim in our waterways.
Baillee: What are some of the dangers of not having those clean water policies enforced?
Justinn: A huge danger is that we have families that are unknowingly swimming in polluted water. Whether it's after a big rain event or, let's say, a wastewater treatment plant had a sanitary sewer overflow, you can't look at a body of water and understand if it's safe to swim in just by looking at it.
Recreating in polluted water can cause a host of health issues, from gastrointestinal problems to ear infections—particularly in young kids. Then you take into account the fact that a lot of people look to our waterways for food.
So, whether they're looking to catch a catfish to have a fry, or bream or something, if you've got fish swimming in polluted water, contaminants can potentially bioaccumulate... You are unknowingly exposing yourself to known carcinogens or neurotoxins through eating these critters.
And then there's just the integrity of the drinking water itself, making sure that there's no PFAS, which is a "forever chemical." That's very, very frustrating because we are seeing major rollbacks on regulations around PFAS currently.
(More information about forever chemicals can be found in the Coosa Riverkeepers article: Unprecedented Analysis Reveals PFAS Contamination in the Coosa River Shows Shocking Levels of Contamination)
Baillee: What are some policies that Riverkeepers are working to address?
Justinn: One of the advocacy campaigns that Coosa Riverkeeper has been working on for a number of years is the ability for people to have "A Right to Know."
In Alabama, our state motto is "We Dare Defend Our Rights," but we lack so many rights to know about how water quality is impacting our health and how water quality is impacting other communities.
We have been focusing on that through the lens of fish consumption advisories. So that is an advisory that is from the Alabama Department of Public Health that says you should limit your consumption of certain fish from a certain body of water due to a certain contaminant.
Baillee: What is something that you wish more people knew about Alabama waterways, just in general?
Justinn: I wish people knew that although rivers have a head and a mouth, they don't have a voice to speak for themselves. We need to steward this resource because it provides so much to us environmentally as well as economically.
Tourism will be, and has been, impacted by environmental disasters. The [Deep Horizon] oil spill is an example of that.
Baillee: Speaking of tourism, and with the weather getting warmer, what are just some basic water safety rules that people need to keep in mind?
Justinn: Wait 48 hours to get into a creek or a major waterway after a rain. We get these big gully washers in the summer, and so it picks up agricultural pollution as well as the potential for the sanitary sewer overflows that I mentioned.
So, I just advise people to stay out of the water—even if the water is up and looks awesome—or be super aware that the water quality could be compromised.
Another thing is, if you've got cuts or mosquito bites, cover them and clean them. You know, I was one of those kids that thought that if you got in the river, that counted as a bath. That does not, turns out.
So, I think that's also super important—is to just sort of recognize that your health is impacted by the health of the waterway. Keep that front of mind, because we are not separate from the environment; we are a part of it.
Baillee: What is your favorite animal found around Alabama waterways?
Justinn: That’s a good one. Animal? See, I’m really kind of more of a plant person... I love mountain laurel. I love it. It’s one of my favorite flowers.
It blooms in the springtime and in riparian zones—so along creeks and in wet soil—and it’s just beautiful. I do love critters, but I find myself drawn to flowers much more.
Baillee: Do you have any cool plant facts that you can share?
Justinn: Well, I think that one of the things that I enjoy the most is that in Alabama, we have a succession of flowers. It begins with daffodils, right? That’s around this time of year.
Then, as we move further into the spring, we’ve got mountain laurel, we’ve got the Cahaba lilies and then we also have oakleaf hydrangeas. The oakleaf hydrangea is our state wildflower, and it’s also beautiful.
Baillee: Alright, here's some miscellaneous questions. Do you have any superstitions or irrational fears?
Justinn: Yeah, I'm, like, incredibly afraid of kangaroos.
Baillee: Are you really?
Justinn: Yeah. And it’s like—I’ll admit it—I’m bracing my hands together. I don't understand. I mean, they drown dogs, they punch stuff.
They've got this whole marsupial thing going on, which, I mean, I get that it's important, but it’s also freaky, right? And they hit people with their tails, their hands, and their feet.
Baillee: Where does that come from?
Justinn: No, I think it comes from the drowning of dogs. Because, like, my dog, Stella—I mean, I wish you could see her, she's here with us right now. I'm just trying to imagine me versus the kangaroo. I want to be prepared for her, you know? So, I think that's probably where it comes from.
Baillee: No, I get it. Luckily, kangaroos are not around Alabama, so I think Stella is safe.
Justinn: Some people have them! Like the Tiger King—there are people that have kangaroos in Alabama.
Baillee: You're right! There's probably someone listening that has ten alligator lizards or whatever else in their backyard.
Justinn: If you're listening and you have a kangaroo, just know that I'm afraid of them.
Baillee: Yeah, keep them away from Justinn and Stella!
Justinn: Thank you. She appreciates that.
Baillee: Tell me something on your bucket list.
Justinn: Oh, that's fun. On my bucket list, I really, really, really want to paddle New River in West Virginia... and I just have a lot of love for that area.
I have some friends that do some great work in West Virginia. So, that's on my bucket list for sooner rather than later.
Baillee: Did you have a childhood hero?
Justinn: Erin Brockovich.
Baillee: Oh, yeah, I can see that. I can see that really easily.
Justinn: Yeah. I mean, I should say also Julia Roberts. Yeah, shout out to Julia Roberts for playing her. I love Steel Magnolias. So this is not my love letter to Julia, but right adjacent.
Baillee: What is your favorite getaway spot in Alabama?
Justinn: The Coosa River.
Baillee: Okay, here's the last question: What does Alabama need?
Justinn: People to think about that water is a voting issue. Clean water is a voting issue.
Baillee: That's it for today's Quick-Fire Quips, a questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the state of Alabama. That was Justinn Overton, Executive Director and staff Riverkeeper at Coosa Riverkeeper. I'm your host, Baillee Majors.
Click here for more Quick-Fire Quips!
