NICK WILLIAMS

NICK WILLIAMS grew up exploring D’Olive Creek, a small stream that flows through Alabama's largest subdivision into Mobile Bay. As a boy, Nick fished for bass, bullheads, and eight species of "bream," or sunfish, that live in the creek alongside shiners, chubs, dace, turtles, crawfish, and countless aquatic insect species. Nick witnessed the creek's decline due to sediment, fertilizer run-off, and sewage pollution, which turned many of his swimming and fishing spots into algae-choked pools. Disillusioned by the development destroying his childhood dunes, Nick moved inland, settling at Tensaw Lake. There, he discovered bowfin, paddlefish, and alligator gar. Nick spoke against plans to cap-in-place the Barry Steam Plant Coal Ash Pond, leading to him joining the Mobile Baykeeper board of directors, where he works to engage sportsmen in North Baldwin County, an area facing new development threats as the county's population continues to grow. Nick is a writer, editor, and podcast host. He is the Managing Editor for Great Days Outdoors, Northwest Florida Fishing Report, Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, and Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report. He enjoys kayaking and fishing in "America’s Amazon," where he has fished in almost every Alabama county, catching over forty freshwater fish species. However, he worries that without change, future generations won't have the same opportunities he has had. Nick can be reached at Info@NativeFishCoalition.org