POWERGRAMS

38 the United States of America inaugurated its national bird: the bald eagle. A native of North America, the majestic bird became a symbol of American pride, representing strength and power. However, nearly 50 years ago, the nation's beloved symbol faced extinction. Bald eagles once flew in abundance over the continental United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experts believe there were up to 500,000 nesting bald eagles in the late 1700s. It wasn't until the late 1800s that the bald eagle population began to decline along with shorebirds, waterfowl and other birds. While bald eagles primarily eat fish and carrion, they were considered a threat by farmers who believed they preyed on chickens and livestock. Farmers shooting eagles, along with the loss of nesting habitat, led to the population decline. In 1940, Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which was expanded to include the golden eagle in 1962. In the 1940s, however, the introduction of the insecticide DDT began to have an increasingly adverse effect on eagles and, more specifically, their eggs. When DDT washed off the crops, it entered waterways and contaminated fish and aquatic plants. Eagles ate the contaminated fish and plants, ingesting the poison. "The decline of the nation's eagle population was severely impacted by DDT's effect on the eagles' eggshells," said Chad Fitch, Environmental Affairs specialist for Alabama Power. "Through bio- accumulation, the DDT would make its way through the food chain, in turn thinning the eggshells. Whenever they sat on the eggs, they would crush them because the eggshells were too thin and brittle." The bald eagle was nearly gone by the mid-20th century, with only 487 nesting pairs remaining in 1963. With extinction on the horizon, the federal government began more aggressive actions to save our national symbol, banning DDT in 1972. After enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the bald eagle in 1978 as endangered throughout 43 states, including Alabama. Since then, through habitat preservation, captive breeding programs, reintroduction efforts, law enforcement and nest protection during the breeding season, the bald eagle population has steadily increased. In 1995, the eagle was upgraded from endangered to threatened and, in 2007, it was delisted. Alabama has played a significant role in the recovery. From 1949 to 1984, no bald eagles nested in Alabama. Today there are 77 recorded pairs of nesting eagles in the state. In 1984, the Nongame Wildlife Program of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources began the Alabama Bald Eagle Restoration Project. Since 1986, Alabama Power Environmental Affairs employees have monitored eagles with annual mid- winter surveys along the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers. Smith Lake, Lake Martin and Lake Harris are surveyed each year. The lakes on the Coosa River are surveyed on a three-year rotation of Weiss, Lay, Logan Martin, Mitchell, Jordan, Bouldin and Neely Henry. "I'm glad to report that the population is on the rise," Fitch said. "We are reporting significantly higher numbers of eagles since we started the partnership and surveying." The surveys provide consistent information about the birds whose lives stretch over decades. Eagles have a life span of up to 30 years in the wild. Female In 1782, Bird's-eye view of eagle roosting at Lake Martin.

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