By By ANNA M. LEE Assistant Editor
Rainwater that falls on Brewton's roads and neighborhoods eventually ends up in area streams, carrying pollutants and soil with it, but Auburn University knows ways to reduce the damage.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) Water Quality Program and Auburn University's Department of Landscape Architecture are working together to give Brewton an effective plan for managing its stormwater.
Brewton Mayor Ted Jennings said that the project is "a chance for us to get some expert advice, at virtually no cost."
In the fall of 2004, Lebleu will visit Brewton with landscape architecture master's students for a community visioning session. Residents and city officials will be invited to discuss the water quality management needs of each section of Brewton.
With the help of Lebleu, the students will analyze Brewton's current water quality situation, and develop a concept plan, a master plan and a site model.
Plans are expected to be completed by December 2004.
The project will target downtown Brewton, schools, the YMCA, the golf course and surrounding neighborhoods.
Auburn's and ACES' work on this project is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, which will also provide seed money for Brewton to implement the plan, Lebleu said.
Lebleu and her ACES partner in this project, Eve Brantley, will bring the City of Brewton ideas for future water quality improvement and stream restoration.