Publications

36 Freshwater Land Trust and Alabama Power Foundation Join Forces To Develop Greenway The Freshwater Land Trust's project to create a greenway along Five Mile Creek in Jefferson County is more than a decade in the making. Industrial development and a devastating series of floods had le the watershed with significant ecological damage. To address the issue, the trust joined with the Alabama Power Foundation and other donors to form the Five Mile Creek Partnership. Since its formation, the partnership has worked with the Freshwater Land Trust to make this area into a recreational destination for people in the county and across the state. In 2016, with funding from partners including the Alabama Power Foundation, the trust was able to purchase a 16.5-mile abandoned rail corridor to develop a trail for joggers, hikers and bikers. The greenway will help to revitalize the affected communities, provide outdoor recreational and educational space and promote the trust's wider mission of protecting and preserving Central Alabama's natural resources. "The project provides a safe resource for people to use outdoor green spaces and encourages healthier lifestyles through walking, cycling and more," said Memorie English, development and communications coordinator for the trust. "It also protects the natural resources of Five Mile Creek by preserving and improving the habitat along the corridor." The Freshwater Land Trust works to conserve land for the protection of water quality and to secure open space through land acquisition, conservation and stewardship opportunities. The trust focuses on protecting Central Alabama rivers and streams and connecting recreational opportunities for the communities it serves. Environment Length of abandoned rail corridor that will become a recreational greenway 16.5 miles

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