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Mother Earth has given over to Grandmother Earth so it’s time for her “children” to open their eyes and ears and become serious about taking care of her.

That was the message Cindy Lowry, Alabama Rivers Alliance executive director, brought to Brundidge Thursday morning.

The Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library presented “Water: Plan On It” as a way to inform local residents about the current status of a statewide water plan and what can be done to ensure Alabama’s waters are protected for future generations, said Theresa Trawick, library director.

Lowry told those who gathered at Brundidge Station for the program that Alabama has more than 132,000 miles of rivers and streams and ranks number one nationally in fresh water diversity.

But Alabama is not without its water problems, from the improper enforcement of environmental regulations to the lack of planning and policy to ensure sustainable water for the future.

“We need to do more to protect our water supply,” Lowry said. “We need to generate greater awareness about the threats to our water supply because water is essential to everything we do. Water is fundamental to life.”

Lowry said water providers, agriculture, environmental group, local governments and business communities are attempting to identify and address threats to the state’s water supply. However, among its neighboring states, Alabama is the only one that does not have a comprehensive water plan.

“State leadership is needed to protect our water supply,” Lowry said.

Alabama Rivers Alliance is a statewide network of groups working to protect and restore all of Alabama’s water resources through building partnerships, empowering citizens and advocating for sound water policy and its enforcement.

“But our people need to get involved,” Lowry said. “Our people need to let our lawmakers know that we need a water plan to regulate our water supply to keep it clean and flowing. We have changed the way our natural world looks so we need a plan that includes how much water we need for future use. We must create a plan before there is a crisis.”

Lowry advised her audience to talk to their state legislators and let them know their concern about the future and safety of the state’s water supply and the need for a comprehensive water plan for Alabama.