For information contact:
Eldon Weber (515) 294-0893
Iowans to celebrate Year of Water
AMES-Ten years after Iowa's Groundwater Protection Act was enacted, it
remains a model for non-regulatory environmental legislation in the United
States.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has studied non-regulatory
conservation incentives across the country and think there is potential for
even more innovative ways to protect the environment. "The Iowa
Groundwater Protection Act has worked for Iowa," says Mark Ackleson of the
Natural Heritage Foundation. "We think there are additional non-regulatory
ways to encourage conservation of lands and waters in Iowa. It is
important that we work with Iowa landowners to implement additional
incentives and legislation."
The Groundwater Protection Act was the subject of a meeting last March,
initiated by Dennis Keeney, director for the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture, and attended by about 20 people representing government,
nonprofit, education, farm, and business groups. They agreed that focusing
public attention on Iowa water was a good idea, not only to focus on the
Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, but to also call attention the many other
successful water protection efforts that have ensued.
The result-after nearly a year of planning-is the 1997 Year of Water
celebration.
On Dec. 19, Governor Terry Branstad signed a proclamation officially
declaring 1997 as the "Year of Water" in Iowa attended by 40 Iowans
representing 30 different federal, state, and local governmental bodies;
nonprofit organizations, and agribusiness. On Jan. 22, the Year of Water
celebration will begin in earnest at a kickoff event at the State
Historical Building with Governor Branstad and U.S. Natural Resources and
Conservation Service chief Paul Johnson in attendance.
The year-long series of events is meant to recognize success and identify
needs for water protection in the decade to come. "While many people are
very enthused about celebrating Iowa's water resources, no one thinks that
our work is done yet," says Keeney. "Ten years has given us a chance to
find out where we can improve, and to begin reducing erosion, minimizing
chemical inputs, and protecting surface and groundwater. With continued
cooperation from federal, state, and local governments; nonprofits,
agribusinesses, community leaders, farmers, and Iowa citizens, we can make
even more of a difference in the future."
Conferences, workshops, school curricula, and special events are being
developed using the Year of Water theme. Following the successful model
used by the Iowa Sesquicentennial celebration, local organizations of all
kinds are creating their own ways of celebrating Iowa's precious water
resources. The number of participating organizations has grown to 63 and
is increasing daily.
Events and success stories are pouring in on the Year of Water's World Wide
Web page, <http://www.ag.iastate.edu/yearofwater/>. Those wanting to test
their knowledge of water facts can try the water quiz recently added to the
WWW page. Educational resources and other Internet resources dealing with
water can also be found on the page.
The Year of Water is evolving into a steady flow of enthusiasm that
promises to hold Iowa's water in good stead for the future. To learn more
about the Year of Water, visit the World Wide Web page or contact project
coordinator Eldon Weber, 217 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011; or phone (515)
294-0893.
Editor's note: Following is a list of participating organizations as of
12/12/96. You may want to contact organizations from your area to localize
this release.
Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Aldo Leopold Foundation, Inc.
Cedar River Festival
Cedar-Wapsie Group, Sierra Club
Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination
Clean Water Alliance for the Protection of the Iowa Great Lakes
CLEAR Project
David Dahlquist Associates Inc.
Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District
Hawkeye Community College
Howard R. Green Company
Iowa Agricultural Youth Institute
Iowa Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners
Iowa AWWA Children's Water Festival
Iowa Chapter, Soil and Water Conservation Society
Iowa Cooperative Development Services
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Iowa Department of Education
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Public Health
Iowa Division, Izaak Walton League of America
Iowa Environmental Council
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Iowa Farmer Today
Iowa Great Lakes Clean Water Project
Iowa Groundwater Association
Iowa Honey Producers Association
Iowa Lakeside Lab
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Iowa Renewable Energy Association
Iowa Rural Water Association
Iowa Soybean Association
Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute
Iowa Student Environmental Coalition
Iowa Waste Reduction Center
Iowa Water Pollution Control Association
Iowa Water Quality Association
Iowa Water Well Association
Iowa Watersheds
ISU Agricultural Education & Studies Department
ISU College of Agriculture & Information Office
ISU Department of Journalism and Mass Communications
ISU Extension Service
ISU President's Office,
ISU Student Chapter, Soil & Water Conservation Society
Kirkwood Community College Environmental Training Center
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
National Soil Tilth Laboratory
Office of the Governor
Pine Creek Water Quality Project
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Project Wet
Raccoon River Watershed Project
Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee
Sumner High School
Trees Forever
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water, Wetlands, and Pesticides Division
U. S. Geological Survey
University of Iowa Hygienic Lab
University of Okoboji
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
USDA Rural Development
Anne Larson, Comm. Specialist
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
209 Curtiss Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-1050
ph. (515) 294-0626
fax (515) 294-9696