WEEKS BAY, Ala. — The Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is set to receive its annual operations grant. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, announced Tuesday that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $555,000 to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the implementation of the national estuarine research reserve program in the Weeks Bay estuary.

In a press release, Shelby stated, “Education and outreach are a critical part of the overall plan to protect the resources and beauty of the coastal waters. The findings from research conducted at the Weeks Bay estuary go a long way in educating us about resource management and coastal stewardship. This important grant will help continue education and research activities at Weeks Bay.”

As part of the legislation that originally created the reserve system, the state of Alabama will provide $237,858 in matching funds. The annual stipend is based on Line 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended.

L.G. Adams, director of the Weeks Bay Reserve, said, “The amount of funds available is determined by Congress every year. They decide what will be spent for the system.”

But, funding for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, a network of 27 areas representing different biogeographic regions of the United States, has remained relatively the same since fiscal 2002. Adams said this year’s national budget is around $16.4 million.

“We really need more money,” Adams said, noting the price of everything from fuel to personnel has continued to rise for the last six years. “We’re somewhat in a burden right now.”

Every reserve in the national system has the opportunity to apply for the funding each year, he said, but although it might be assumed by some that Weeks Bay would automatically get a share, it’s not guaranteed.

Adams pointed out that certain criteria must be met each year, and the money must be spent properly based on the mission outlined when setting up the reserve.

The Weeks Bay Reserve was established in February 1986 as a protected education and research site, the 16th such reserve in the national system.

The bay itself is considered to be Alabama’s best remaining unspoiled estuary — a semi-enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the oceans.

Estuaries are sites where interaction between land, sea, fresh water and air create one of the most productive environments on earth, serving as a nursery and feeding ground for thousands of species.

The Weeks Bay Reserve encompasses 6,000 acres of land and water in and around Weeks Bay and along Mobile Bay. Adams said the free educational interpretive center and boardwalk there is open seven days a week (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 1-5 p.m. on Sunday). The reserve is closed for state holidays, but the boardwalks (including the Kurt G. Wintermeyer Boardwalk on Fish River) remain open.

Adams said, “We have habitat models at the interpretive center, along with a collection of specimens native to the area. There’s a good couple of hours of things for families to do.”

The reserve is also heavily involved in K-12 education, hosting school programs for students to learn more about the coastal environment. The first of several two-week summer estuary camps for kids is already in session, he said, and other education and outreach programs are ongoing.

One, the Coastal Training Program, offers technical training to coastal managers, municipal employees and other officials, providing a curriculum that includes studies on wetland habitats and best management practices.

A systemwide water quality monitoring program begun by the reserve 12 years ago posts real-time data online, as does the reserve’s weather and water monitoring station at Weeks Bay, near the mouth of Fish River.

Researchers from around the country also travel to the reserve to help learn more about the fragile coastal habitat, Adams said. Current research includes a study of mud habitat and oxygen content in the bay, while another researcher plans to study the water level and the impact of human interaction with wetlands.

A group from the Environmental Protection Agency is conducting a study on bull minnows in the bay area. Adams said, “It’s a very important minnow because it’s at the base of the food chain.”

Yet another group is taking cylinder samples in order to put a dollar figure on the value of the bay as an economic base for southwest Alabama.

“Whether it’s school kids or training coastal managers, research or even in-house training, the funding is important,” Adams said.

There are a couple of ways to help the reserve adequately fund its mission. One is to contact Shelby, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) or Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and urge them to support a boost in funding for the national reserve system.

Another is to support the reserve’s efforts locally through the Weeks Bay Foundation.

It was incorporated in 1990 as a nonprofit organization to support the Weeks Bay Reserve’s work. Boasting over 550 members, it supports the reserve through donations of land and educational exhibits, public awareness and education programs, water quality monitoring efforts and volunteer programs.

The groups also raises money to enable the reserve to develop facilities, as well as acquire and maintain its collection, and it pursues land acquisition activities in the Weeks Bay watershed.

For more information about how to help fund the programs at the reserve, visit the Weeks Bay Reserve Foundation Web site at www.weeksbay.org, or call (251) 990-5004.

For more information about the reserve, call (251) 928-9792.