Saving H20

Blog Down Until March 1st

2012-01-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

The Education Cooperative Blog will be down until March 1st. You can visit our website at www.savingh2o.org for any upcoming activities or announcements.

Thank You

Saving Water During The Holidays

2011-12-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is fast approaching….as well as that extra pant size. With more family time and bigger notches on your belt, comes gallons of wasted water. A typical American Christmas dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water. To help you stay green and on Santa’s water saving “good list”, listed below are 6 ways to save water during Thanksgiving.

1: Run the dishwasher efficiently.

Holiday guests dirty up many dishes, but when it's time to clean up, make sure that you're running your dishwasher in the most efficient way possible. Scrap plates instead of rinsing them with hot water, and making sure the dishwasher is full each time it runs. To save on the costs of heating water, avoid special cycles like pre-rinse and rinse-hold, which can be unnecessary, and stop the dishwasher before it's time to dry—the dishes can air dry, instead.

2: Cooking That Turkey

The best way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator. It takes about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. If you are like many Americans, you need to 'speed-thaw' the bird. Keep the turkey in the original tightly sealed bag and place it in a clean and sanitized sink or food service safe pan. Submerge in cold water and change the cold water every 30 minutes. The turkey will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. Our imaginary turkey is 10 pounds so it would take 300 minutes with 10 changes of water. If you used only 10 gallons of water each time, it would add up to 100 gallons per turkey. If 1/2 of the turkeys in the US were speed-thawed, that's over 2 BILLION gallons of water. Any way you look at it, we use enough water to create a sizable Turkey Lake just to get Mr. Gobbler ready to cook.

3: Impressing your guest

Your having the family over at your house this year for Christmas? Impressing the aunts and uncles with a nice green lawn are always high on your list but unnecessary and wasteful. Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers. You can save up to 300 gallons per time but opting to impress the extended family with your homemade bread.

4: Leave the China in the closet

Use Recycled-Paper Products instead of setting out your grandmother’s fine china. Products made from 100 percent recycled paper require much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virgin paper. Who really wants to clean dishes anyways?

5: Cleaning up the Leftovers

Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better--compost!).

6: HALF TIME.

Approximately 30 million of us will watch football after the meal. The next spike occurs at halftime of the football game. Just like clockwork, American toilets will flush 30 million times and use 108 million gallons of water - enough water to fill an entire football stadium! Water efficient toilets would save 62 million gallons of that water. With the meal, time zones in the US go from east to west and stagger the energy and water use. The football game happens in real-time and much of the country hits the bathroom at the same time.

The point of all this is not to have you eating bologna sandwiches for Christmas, but as you let your belt out after dinner, you may want to give thanks for living in a time and place that allows such enormous energy and water use.

Beginning of Irrigation in Terry County

2011-11-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

In the "history books" of Terry County, the article, " beginning of irrigation in Terry County" can be found tucked away inside. Lucky for me, Lindy at the South Plains UWCD found the article and placed it on my desk. It is written by R.J. Purtell and gives the reader a glimpse back into the 20's and beyond.

Beginning of Irrigation in Terry County

by R. J. Purtell

source: Terry County History Book 2002

My first memory of an irrigation well was on Mr. Schulze's farm in early 1920's. Mr Schulze grew potatoes and sold them from his wagon by the county road in the fall of the year. The amazing thing about the story was Mr. Schulze was blind. He and his family hand dug the well on top of a rise on Arthur Sawyer's farm a mile and a half southwest of town. The well had a two inch centrifugal pump in the bottom to boost the water to the surface. The water was used to furrow water for approximately one or two acres of potatoes.

I dug my firs irrigation well in Terry County in 1941. It was an eight0inch well pumping 1000 gpm with a Lane & Bowler pump purchased from J.B. Knight Company. I used this well in ditch watering fro approximately four or five years. Yields increased, but so did the problems. Ditch watering this sandy soil was nearly impossible because the ditches and furrows would collapse. We then decided that we would try to sprinkle row crops using aluminum pipe and large impact sprinklers.

We purchased 6" X 20' aluminum pipe out of Eugene Oregon. We laid two lines, each a quarter mile long. An eighth inch feeder line was attached to the middle of the quarter mile sprinkler line and flowed 1299 gallons per minute. The sprinkler line carried 80 lbs pressure and applied and acre inch of water per hour. Each sprinkler line was moved every two hours night and day. One line was hand moved while the other one was watering.

After the drought of 1951-1953 sprinkler irrigation was accepted and wells were beginning to be drilled all over the county. This trend continued throughout the 1950's raising our yield expectations from one-half bale to two bales of cotton per acre. Automated irrigation is continuing up until the present time and is the engine that propels the economy of Terry County.

PBUWCD Calendar Winners

2011-11-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

PBUWCD Art Contest Winners

We have the results from the 4th annual Permain Basin UWCD Art Contest. The winners have received their cash prizes and certificates, so we are now ready for you to see their hard work.

There were four schools that participate in this years contest ; Elbow Elementary, Grady Elementary,Sands Elementary & Stanton Elementary. The judges, water district staff, and myself, enjoyed looking at all of the students' art work. It was interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

The following picture was our grand prize winner this year. The student's picture will will be featured on the cover of our 2011 calendar.

by Ami Baeja, a student at Stanton Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2012 Calendar.

Chandler Densom; Stanton Elementary

Emma Rojas; Stanton Elementary

Hope Perez; Grady Elementary

Chloe Carey; Forsan Elementary

Cody Huitt; Forsan Elementary

Emily Garcia; Forsan Elementary

Kaylee Morgan; Forsan Elementary

Mikayla Arzate; Forsan Elementary

Montie Munsell; Forsan Elementary

Ryan Buske; Forsan Elementary

Samantha Raney; Forsan Elementary

Cassidy Rusk; Forsan Elementary

LEUWCD Art Contest

2011-11-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

We have the results from the 5th annual Llano Estacado UWCD Art Contest. The winners have received their cash prizes and certificates, so we are now ready for you to see their hard work.

There were three schools that participate in this years contest ; Seminole Elementary, Seagraves Elementary & Loop Elementary. The judges, water district staff, & myself, enjoyed looking at all of the students' art work. It was interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

A special thanks goes out to our judges. We appreciate you taking the time to be apart of our education program.

The following picture was our grand prize winner this year. The student's picture will will be featured on the cover of our 2012 calendar.

Alexander Harms from Seminole Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2012 Calendar.

Alyssa Estrada; Loop Elementary

Hannah Spille; Seagraves Elementary

Carlye Winfrey; Semionle Elementary

Dustie Beaubien'Seminole Elementary

Easton Rios; Seminole Elementary

Jenesis Turner; Seminole Elementary

Julian Bogues;Seminole Elementary

Kaighan Gray;Seminole Elementary

Kody Sims;Seminole Elementary

Lauryl Stegall; Seminole Elementary

Madison Petty;Seminole Elementary

Nikki Fehr;Seminole Elementary

Kids Kows and More: 2011

2011-11-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

The SPUWCD presented at the Kids Kows & More program in Brownfield. Students from Wellman-Union, Meadow & Brownfield listened to presentations about cheese, beef, rainwater harvesting and forestry.

The studedents learned about cheese making, soil, cotton ginning, the cattle industrty and entomology. I spoke to the studetns about rainewater harvesting. We talked about the rainwater harvesting process and how the students could use the rainwater at their school or their homes.

As always, we had a great time at the Kids Kows and More Program. I look forward to speaking to the students again next year.

Yoakum SWCD 2011 Conservation Jamboree

2011-10-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yoakum SWCD 2011 Conservation Jamboree

The Sandy Land UWCD participated in the Yoakum SWCD 2011 Conservation Jamboree this past Friday. We always enjoy going to this event and talking with the 4th & 5th graders from Denver City & Plains. There were several business and individuals who presented in their area of expertise. Presentors & topics included

Bugs & Things – Manda Cattaneo -AgrilLife Extension Service
Farm Equipment – Curt Summer – South Plains Implement
Rain Simulator – Matt Pruner – NRCS
Branding Cattle – Chip Bennett – Yoakum County Rancher
Water - Crystal Hogue- Sandy Land Underground Water District
Spices - Jarrod Chestnut - Southwest Spice
Honey & Bees - Dennis Ross
Peanuts – Golden Peanuts – Steve and Riley
Wildlife – Vicki Sybert - Texas Park & Wildlife
Cotton Gin – Martin Lefevere – Farm Bureau

This year I wanted to do something more interactive with the kids, especially since I was scheduled to talk after the “Bee Man”. I decided to concentrate on the topic of rainwater harvesting while still stressing the importance of water conservation. The students seemed to enjoy learning about the rainwater harvesting process and asked a lot of questions.

I ended the presentation with an activity that the students seemed to enjoy. They had to "harvest" rain, or my crafty version of rain, in cups. The students then passed the cups filled with rain to their classmates assembled in a line. At the end of the line their teammates were holding a gutter, or once again my crafty version of a gutter. The students had to pour the rain into the gutters and then into their teams rain barrel or bucket. The team that harvested the most rain water after four minutes won.

Meadow Outdoor Classroom

2011-10-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Outdoor Classroom at Burleson Elementary in Meadow, was held last week . Students from Wellman-Union, Dawson, Plains and Burleson ,along with their teachers, took part in our two-day learning experience.

Our 5th graders enjoyed listing to the different presenters and learning about our habitat. Presenters included;

Amphibians and Micro-Invertebrates; Russel Martin

Toads and Tadpoles in Sand Dunes; Burr Williams

Weather on the Southern High Plains; Carry Allen

Lessor Prairie Chicken; Duane Luis

The Birds of the High Plains; Gail Barnes

The "dirt" on Soil; Greg Lindsey

Rangeland Management;Kegan Crouch

Draws and Groundwater; Jason Coleman

Salt Cedar/Beetle; Manuel DeLeon

Our field trip was to a buffalo ranch. The kids really enjoyed getting to see these beautiful animals up close.

A special thanks goes out to all of our presenters this week and our schools and their awesome teachers and staff. Also to the Terry County NRCS, Jackie Pate, Terry County AgriLife Extension and the SPUWCD . It is amazing how much we can accomplish and how many students we can reach, when we work together.

Ag & Oil Day 2011 LEUWCD

2011-09-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

This years Ag & Oil Day in Seminole was a success. The LEUWCD hosted a booth inside for adult visitors who came to the event.

The display discussed what groundwater management areas are the desired future conditions of the aquifer.

Two--hundred and fifty, 4th graders from Seagraves, Seminole & Loop , gathered to hear presentations from eight different presenters. The students learned about farm animals, peanuts, cotton and much more.

The LEUWCD booth for the 4th graders was focused on rainwater harvesting. The Education Coordinator spoke about what rainwater harvesting is and how it can be used at home. They also discussed the importance of saving water and how they could do so.

After the presentation, the students played a game where they competed against each other on how much water they could harvest. Buckets full of beads ,aka:rain, were raced across to a their teams "gutters".

I had a great time at Ag & Oil Day, in Seminole, this year. The LEUWCD hosted a booth for adult visitors.

Tech officials offer predictions, solutions as drought worsens

2011-08-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

By Caitlan Osborn
The months from October 2010 through July 2011 have been the driest 10-month period in Texas since the state began keeping rainfall records in 1895.

However, the current drought is not the worst Texas has experienced. A drought that began in 1950 lasted seven years before the state got a reprieve. However, Ron Sosebee, a professor emeritus with the Department of Natural Resources Management, said he considers the current drought to be the hardest.

“In my personal opinion, this drought is, in many ways, actually worse than the drought in the 1950s,” he said. “I know that the drought of the 1950s is still considered to be the worst drought we’ve experienced in the southwest for centuries, but without question this has been the driest year that we’ve ever recorded.”

Jeff Johnson, assistant professor in the College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, said while he does not expect the drought to last that long, he does not see it ending any time soon.

“El Niño-La Niña drives the drought right now,” Johnson said. “When it gets low, we’re in a dry period. So it’s been very low and they’re expecting it to come back up, but not very high. By about late fall, it’s probably going to turn down again. It’ll end up becoming another dry winter and another dry summer, which would be bad.”

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service stated that so far there has been an estimated $1.8 billion lost from state cotton production alone and a total of $5.2 billion in lost income.

Johnson said most of the loss is coming from areas around Lubbock, where most of Texas’s cotton is produced.

“About two-thirds of that $1.8 billon for the state economy is right here,” he said. “So this area is losing about $1.2 billion from just cotton. It’s a huge deal.”

There has also been an estimated 52 percent of cotton acreage abandonment, Johnson said. While most of the abandonments are from dryland farms, he said the intense heat has also caused irrigated farms to lose one-third of their yields.

Another burden the state faces from the lack of rain, Sosebee said, is the number of fires that have spread across the state. To date, there have been more than 3.3 million acres in Texas ravaged by wildfires.

“The impact on the rangeland is exacerbated by the fires,” he said. “Our problem is going to be recovering these rangelands from this devastating condition that they’re in right now.”

Sosebee said a way farmers can help recover their dying lands is by preventing livestock from grazing.

“The more damage we do to the grasses that are left, even though they are dry, there is a higher chance that they will not return,” he said. “We’ll probably have a changed situation once this drought is relieved.”

He also said he believes that catching rainfall will help farmers manage their resources better when dry spells like this occur.

“Most of the rainfall that occurs, when it does occur, will eventually run off, rather than soak into the ground,” Sosebee said. “Only about 10 percent of our rain actually gets used.”

Ken Rainwater, director of Texas Tech’s Water Resources Center, said the department works to plan for drought conditions in terms of water rationing. He said the university’s water supply comes from a series of underground wells that are separate from Lubbock’s own water supply.

“The situation we have on Texas Tech’s campus is kind of the opposite of what is happening under the irrigated croplands,” he said. “Since we stopped pumping here in the city, the water levels have come up quite a bit and the depth of the water under the campus is only about 30 feet. So it’s a lot easier to produce the water from those levels.”

The Water Resources Center, Rainwater said, focuses on three goals to keep campus foliage healthy, while maintaining a balance on the amount of water the school uses: augmentation, conservation and protection.

“The key to augmentation is finding new water,” he said. “Conservation, of course, means using the water we do have carefully and not wasting it, whether domestically or for agricultural or industrial purposes.

“Protection is trying to keep the sources of our water from human contamination and, in places where we have had (contamination), we try to treat that water so it can be useful again and reduce its chance of causing negative health effects to humans or the environment.”

People need to prepare for the possibility that the drought may continue for another year, Sosebee said, or maybe longer, and conserve what little resources they have left.

“If it lingers on for another year or two, then it’s going to become real serious in terms of economics,” he said. “For the city of Lubbock and other areas, there really isn’t going to be much in terms of production. I think it will hurt the whole city, and even the whole region, quite seriously.”

Despite the possible future the state faces, Johnson said much of the drought is out of human control.

“This is a bad drought,” he said, “but we’ve been through bad droughts before. I think we just have to wait it out.”

Water Saving Tips For Lawns

2011-08-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Because of the severe drought, in our part of the world, our cities have restricted their residents to watering their lawns twice and week, after 7 p.m. While some of you may have been accustomed to doing this for some time now, I think the new water restrictions have been an eye opener for many in West Texas. To help us all save water and money, below is a list of ways you can save water on your lawn.

Water Saving Tips For Lawns

Are some grasses more drought tolerant?

Kentucky Bluegrass can survive extended periods of drought by slowing growth, turning straw colored and entering summer dormacy. Once water becomes available again, it can initate new growth form the crown of each plant.

Perennial Ryegrass has very little tolerance for dry conditions and usually doesn't grow in non-irrigated areas.

Warm Season Grasses such as bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and St. Augustinegrass actually prefer warm conditions and can tolerate most drought conditions due to their deep and extensive root systems.

How much water does my lawn need?
The amount water depends on the type of grass you have. In general, applying 3/4" to 1 inch per week is the sufficient during the hot summer months. Rainfall and cooler temperatures means your lawn requires less water.

Too much or too little water?
Over watered lawns lead to excessive growth, summer fungal diseases and more frequent mowing.

Excessive watering of lawns also wastes water, increases the need for fertilizer and pesticide run-off.

Too much water can be deadly. When grass is over watered, the roots are unable to breathe, and eventually rot. Often times an over watered lawn looks like it needs water, it will turn yellow and wilt.

Too little water during summer months your grass will go dormant. Grass color will lighten and most lawns will recover when water returns. You can tell when your lawn is thirsty by doing a foot test.

Walk across the grass and if it doesn't "spring" back up and your footprints are visible, this is the first sign it needs water.

TIPS
Deep and infrequent watering will maintain a healthy root system and helps to reduce weed infestation.

Water your lawn slowly to allow it to soak into the soil and prevent wasteful run off.

Water in the early morning when evaporation is lowest (5am to 10am).

Mow your grass at the right height. Longer grass increases the depth of the root system, shade the soil, and help with drought tolerance.

Keep mower blade sharp.

Annual core aeration can loosen compacted soil and allow water to soak deeper into the ground.

Saving Water During The Summer

2011-06-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

With the hot weather upon us, Texas residents once again will be faced with finding ways to make a reasonable amount of water go a long way. It’s as much a rite of summer as planning vacations and figuring out how to occupy the kids through those long, lazy, school-free weeks and months.
Maintaining yards and swimming pools is especially challenging once temperatures soar into the 100s and beyond. Still, some common sense practices can help strike a balance between keeping things nice around the house and being a good steward of the overall environment.
1. There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.

2. When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

3. Evaporative coolers require a seasonal maintenance checkup. For more efficient cooling, check you evaporative cooler annually.

4. Check you sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.

5. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1,000 gallons of water a month.

6. Avoid planting turf in areas that are hard to water, such as steep inclines and isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.

7. Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps.

8. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time.

9. Plant during the spring or fall when the watering requirements are lower.

10. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you, not the drain.

11. Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.

12. Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours, when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.

13. Wash your produce in the sink or in a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.

14. Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation and save hundreds of gallons a year.

15. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water each time.

16. If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace it with a water-efficient showerhead.

17. Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and reuse it to water houseplants.

18. Divide your watering cycle into shorter periods to reduce runoff and allow for better absorption every time you water.

19. We’re more likely to notice leaky faucets indoors, but don’t forget to check outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses for leaks.

20. Periodically check your pool for leaks if you have an automatic refilling device.

21. Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave footprints, it’s time to water.

22. When you shop for a new appliance, consider one offering cycle and load size adjustment. They are more water and energy efficient than older appliances.

23. Time your shower to keep it under five minutes. You’ll save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

24. Install low-volume toilets.

25. Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.

26. When you clean your fish tank, use the water you’ve drained on your plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous, providing a free and effective fertilizer.

27. Use the sprinkler for larger areas of grass. Water small patches by hand to avoid waste.

28. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It’s easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.

29. Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.

30. Use porous materials for walkways and patios to keep water in your yard and prevent wasteful runoff.

31. Direct downspouts and other runoff toward shrubs and trees, or collect and use for your garden.

32. Designate one glass for your drinking water each day. This will cut down on the number of times you run your dishwasher.

33. Water your summer lawns once every three days and your winter lawn once every five days.

34. Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary watering.
35. Don’t use running water to thaw food.

SLUWCD 2011/2012 Art Contest Winners

2011-06-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Sandy Land Water Conservation District is pleased to announce, the 13 winners for their 5th annual Calendar Art Contest. There were two schools that participate in the contest; Plains and Kelly Dodson Elementary of Denver City .

We enjoyed looking at all of the students' creative work and their original ideas they illustrated. It is interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

The grand prize winner, whose artwork will be featured on the cover of our 2011/2012 school year calendar, is

Bryson Roper, a student at Plains

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2011/2012 school year calendar .

Ashley Long, Plains Elementary

Kaetlin Taylor, Plains Elementary

Willy Wiebe, Plains Elementary

Destiny Ramos, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Haylee Villarreal, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Itzel Manzanera, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Joselin Garcia, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Katie Hollen, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Lupita Gutierrez, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Michelle Sotelo, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Regina Amaya, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Rogelio Jr. Reyes, Kelly Dodson Elementary

South Plains UWCD Art Contest Winning Pictures

2011-05-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

The South Plains Underground Water Conservation District is pleased to announce, the 13 winners for their 5th annual Calendar Art Contest. There were three schools that participate in the contest; Wellman-Union Elementary, Burleson Elementary in Meadow and Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield.

We enjoyed looking at all of the students' creative work and their original ideas they illustrated. It is interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

The grand prize winner, whose artwork will be featured on the cover of our 2012 calendar, is
Aliyah Castillo, a student at Burleson Elementary in Meadow

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2012 Calendar.

Austin Simmons, Burleson Elementary in Meadow

Genesis Rodriguez , Burleson Elementary in Meadow

Riley McBee, Burleson Elementary in Meadow

Christian DeLuna, Burleson Elementary in Meadow

Helen Giesbrecht, Burleson Elementary in Meadow

Angelina Garcia, Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield

Cassidy Cooper, Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield

Touryn Longoria, Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield

Andrea Jaramillo, Wellman-Union Elementary

Elisabeth Peters, Wellman-Union Elementary

Jacy Rowden, Wellman-Union Elementary

Nicole Sifuentez, Wellman-Union Elementary

Water Conservation Day at the Capitol

2011-05-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Education Cooperative recently hosted an art contest for high school juniors and seniors located within our four water districts.. The students were asked to create artwork that depicts an original water conservation message. .

Two students from each water district were selected to travel to Austin on April 26th. The next day the students displayed their artwork in the halls of the State Capitol at Texas Water Foundations Water Conservation Day at the Capitol. This event is held during the legislative session, so that members of the state legislature are exposed to the water conservation programs in our state.

The afternoon of the 27th, the students worked as a page for state their state representative . As a page, the students were on the house floor helping their represenative's staff as directed. All the students had a photo taken with their represenative.
Following their work at the capitol, the students had dinner with former State Representative Gary Walker and Texas Department of Agriculture’s State Marketing Coordinator, Amanda Lyles.

The students’ meals and travel were provided by the their sponsporing UWCD. . We hope the students’ experiences during this event encourage other to participate in future contest.

Rain Barrel Workshop: SPUWCD

2011-05-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

The rain barrel workshop , hosted by the the SPUWCD, was a huge success. We had twenty-three participants, and each one received a rain barrel (fully assembled) and a set of wheels for their barrel.

Jason Coleman, Manager of the SPUWCD, gave the opening remarks. Crystal Hogue, followed with a brief presentation on how the barrels were assembled by the SPUWCD staff. The participants were then free to paint their barrels to their liking. It was so much fun to see all the different ideas and personalities portrayed on each barrel.

To see more pictures from the workshop, please visit the SPUWCD Website at http://www.spuwcd.org/

Rain Barrel Instruction Sheet

2011-04-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

The South Plains UWCD Rain Barrel Workshop was a huge success. The SPUWCD made 23 rain barrels out of 44 gallon trash cans. Before I post pictures of the workshop, I wanted to share our insturction sheet with you, on how we made the barrels.

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How to Build Your Own Rain Barrel

Building a rain barrel is necessary when beginning your rainwater harvesting program at home. Harvesting rainwater is a conservation strategy that may be implemented quickly and cost effectively, with minimal disruption or inconvenience to the homeowner. Capturing rainwater runoff from your roof and storing it in your rain barrel provides a water supply for your plants, landscape and other non-potable uses. Below is a suggested method for building your rain barrel from a heavy duty plastic trash can. We recommend a dark-colored trash can than restricts the sun’s rays from reaching the water. This will inhibit the growth of algae when water is stored inside the barrel.

Parts List: Heavy duty trash can with well-fitting lid, ½” faucet, ½” conduit lock nut, rubber washer, window screen

Tools: Drill, ¾” drill bit, pliers, hot glue gun, scissors, permanent marker, utility knife (optional)

Instructions for the Lid

1. Using the drill and ¾” bit, create a “sieve” type pattern in the lid by drilling multiple holes in the center of the lid. Alternatively, you may cut out a solid 4” or larger hole using a utility knife.

2. Place the screen on the underside of the lid and trace it so that the piece is more than large enough to cover all of the holes. Using the scissors, cut the screen.

3. Hot glue the screen on the underneath side of the lid. Make sure it is secure, as the screen will keep unwanted debris from entering the rain barrel.

Instructions for the Barrel

1. Locate a spot near the bottom of the barrel where you want the faucet installed. Be careful not to place it too close to the bottom, as that location may prohibit the connection of a water hose.

2. Using the drill and ¾” bit, drill the hole for the faucet. After completed, the hole should still provide a snug fit against the threads of the faucet. On the inside of the barrel, you should now place the rubber washer over the threaded end and then secure the faucet by using the locknut. Tighten snugly using a pair of pliers.

Instructions for Us

1. Place the lid securely onto the barrel.

2. Place the barrel under the roof overhang, near a roof valley, or under a downspout. You may also use a rain chain and place the barrel directly beneath it. Any of these locations allows the capture of runoff.

3. After the barrel has collected water, open the faucet for filling watering pitchers, or attach a hose for watering plants or other landscape items.

Texas Senate Passes Groundwater Bill

2011-03-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Texas Senate Passes Groundwater Bill

by Kate Galbraith and Christopher Smith Gonzalez

3/30/2011

The Texas Senate passed a much-discussed piece of groundwater legislation, voting 28-3 to approve a bill stating that landowners in the state have a "vested ownership interest" in the groundwater beneath their land.

"We're just clarifying that you do have a vested interest in that water below your property," said state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, who chairs the Committee on Natural Resources and sponsored the bill.

However, he said, the bill also establishes that landowners' rights are subject to the rules of the groundwater conservation districts, which are locally elected bodies that seek to manage aquifers for the long term and dole out permits to farmers and other water users.

The bill approved today contains additional emphasis on the conservation districts' roles than in its original version. Fraser worked with Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, who had introduced a different bill on landowner rights that gave more emphasis to the groundwater conservation districts' importance. Duncan's concern was that declaring landowners' vested ownership interest — something understood in Texas today but not explicitly stated in the law — would lead to litigation among the various stakeholders in Texas water.

However, he declared himself "very comfortable" with the version of the bill that passed today.
The three senators voting against the bill were José R. Rodríguez, D-El Paso; Kirk Watson, D-Austin; and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/fYnYWT.

SPUWCD Rain Barrel Workshop

2011-03-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

You must call the office to register. Rain barrels will only be given to those who call on or before April 7th.

Trash Can Rain Barrel

2011-03-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

The South Plains UWCD is hosting a Rainwater Harvesting Workshop in Brownfield on April 14th at 6:30 p.m. The District will be teaching attendees how to build a rainwater catchment system out of a 44 gallon trash can. Participants will receive a free trashcan /rain barrel and will have the opportunity to paint their barrel at the workshop.

(please excuse our scratched off paint. We are working on the best paint solution and found it after I took these pictures)

In preparing for the upcoming workshop, we have been building our own trashcan rainwater barrel today in the office. We drilled holes in the top of the barrel and placed a screen underneath the holes.

We painted the rain barrel/ trash can purple and turquoise.

then added a spigot to hook up a garden hose too

And that's it. I will post more detailed instructions once the workshop is over.

If you are interested in attending the workshop please send me an email at savewater windstream net and we will put you on the sign up sheet. The last day to register is March 31st.

Greywater: From washing machine to garden

2011-03-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

I never thought about using Greywater until i started working here. For people that haven’t heard of grey water, it is a concept of re-using water. A simple example would be to collect shower water and then using it to water plants.Based on statistics about 70% of all water used in the home would be classified as grey water.

Greywater: From washing machine to garden

By JORDAN LAIO
Among the southern and southwestern states, California was not alone in experiencing drought conditions from 2007 to 2009. And yet the average family uses about 500 gallons of water per day, according to the Los Angeles County Waterworks District. A significant portion of this often goes to watering lawns and ornamental plants.

Of course, planting native and drought resistant plants in place of grass is a huge step towards water conservation. But suppose you want to have your cake and eat it too (i.e., conserve water and grow water-loving plants)? Welcome to the world of greywater reuse.

WHERE DOES GREYWATER COME FROM?
Greywater is water which you have already used for something in your home, but is not technically toxic. This might include water from your sinks, showers, dishwasher and washing machine (but not toilet).

HOW GREYWATER REUSE HELPS

By diverting this "dirty" but non-toxic water to your yard, you're conserving valuable drinking water, preventing what is technically useful water from going through an inefficient wastewater processing system, and you're diverting a wasted resource to grow plants, and perhaps to grow food.

And it even helps the pocketbook. "Recycling water as greywater is good for the environment, and saves me money," said L.A. River advocate and L.A. Creek Freak blogger Joe Linton. He built a DIY laundry-to-landscape system, which directs water from the washing machine in his second story apartment to his garden.

According to Linton, such a system is simpler for beginners because the washing machine's pump helps divert water to the garden. Also, with a washing machine there is less worry about clogged pipes compared to, say, a kitchen sink, where you're dealing with food particles.

ANYONE CAN DO IT
One might wonder about the difficulty and expense involved in diverting washing machine water to a yard. "Any handyman with basic plumbing skills can install it," Linton assures. His system cost around $150 and is quite lengthy, descending from the second story and snaking through the yard to its outlet at the base of a row of blackberry bushes.

When reusing greywater, the average "eco-friendly" laundry detergents and other soaps may not make the cut. Some of these use ingredients that are more eco-friendly compared to traditional detergents, but they will kill your plants. Linton uses a detergent specially formulated to be used in a greywater reuse system.

LEGALITY

Such modification is illegal in some areas (especially in the eastern states) and you should familiarize yourself with local laws before proceeding. In California, home plumbing modification for greywater reuse only became legal in 2009. It has been legal in arid Arizona since 2002.

But if there is any doubt about the safety of greywater reuse systems, Linton, at least, is confident of its safety. He enjoys the tree fruits grown from his greywater and attests that they are, in his words, "Yummy." He does suggest that, for safety reasons, greywater not be used for root vegetables like potatoes or edible plants which grow near the soil, like lettuce.

Rainwater harvesting increases in popularity across the state

2011-03-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Story by Melanie Orth

Richard Green constructed an underground 20,000-gallon concrete tank for a rainwater harvesting system for his business. Photo by Richard Green.

As the need for water conservation becomes more apparent, residents across Texas are incorporating rainwater harvesting into their everyday lives. This innovative conservation technique involves capturing, diverting, and storing rainwater for later use.

Reducing water costs and lessening the demand on water resources are the two main reasons people become interested in rainwater harvesting, said Billy Kniffen, Texas AgriLife Extension Service water resource specialist.

"Most people who get involved just want to make a difference and be a part of the green effort to use less energy and water," he said.

Kniffen, who has statewide responsibility for rainwater harvesting education for AgriLife Extension, said interest in rainwater harvesting mostly begins by word of mouth.

"Master Gardeners are influential in spreading information about local programs," Kniffen said.

Master Gardeners receive 16 hours of rainwater harvesting training and are armed with educational materials to contribute a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer service to earn the title of Master Gardener-Rainwater Harvesting Specialist. The training allows them to volunteer through local AgriLife Extension offices to provide horticultural related information to communities.

In 2004, AgriLife Extension and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) established the Rainwater Harvesting Task Force, a multidisciplinary group of 18 or more members whose goal is to teach and train others about capturing and managing rainfall, according to B.L. Harris, TWRI acting director.

Since its inception, the rainwater harvesting education group has developed several courses geared towards rainwater stewardship, published peer-reviewed Extension publications including a new rainwater harvesting manual, developed video clips teaching rainfall capture techniques, and created a rainwater harvesting website. The team has also installed rainwater harvesting demonstrations at 37 different locations across the state, including more than 20 locations in West Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

For its efforts, the team was awarded the 2008 Superior Service Award from AgriLife Extension.

Kniffen said the cost of implementing a rainwater harvesting system varies depending on the system.

"A simple rain barrel can be built for $20-$35," he said, "or bought for $100. Many who get involved have 1,000 gallons of storage, which costs less than a $1,000."

The cost also depends on the type of tank installed and who the installer is. Having a company install the system costs about twice as much, he said.

Kniffen, who lives exclusively on rainwater in dry West Texas, said his system cost $10,000.

He and his wife decided to capture rainwater while building their house because they had no access to city water and the groundwater was of questionable quality. Kniffen collects water off his house and barn roof, which is about 5,900 square feet of catchment area.

Like Kniffen, when John Kight began building his house in Boerne, he decided to use rainwater as the sole source of his water supply because the groundwater in his area was too hard and contained iron and sulfur.

"Installing a well would have cost $26,000, and I spent $14,500 on the rainwater system," Kight said.

His rainwater harvesting system includes a 7,826-square-foot roof area, and seven 5,000 gallon, three 1,550-gallon, and one 1,000-gallon aboveground polypropylene tanks for water storage. "With this system I can collect close to 4,800 gallons of rainwater per inch of rain," he said.

Kight said he sees many benefits in rainwater harvesting.

"It's as close to pure water as you can get," he said, "and I don't have to deal with lime build-up or water bills."

Kight has always been conservation-minded and gives numerous presentations and workshops to the community to encourage rainwater harvesting.

He was awarded the 2008 Texas Rain Catcher Award from the Texas Water Development Board, which recognizes excellence in the application of rainwater harvesting systems in Texas.

Although most rainwater harvesting systems are for private use, about 25 percent are for commercial use, Kniffen said.

Richard Green's commercial rainwater harvesting system involves running the water through an ozone treatment recirculation system and a UV light, making the water readily available. Photo by Richard Green.

Richard Green, owner of Magline Inc. in Plainview, began his commercial rainwater harvesting project after his company's building burned down.

Magline Inc. is a small manufacturing resource lab that develops foliar fertilizers or liquid solutions that are sprayed directly onto leaves.

When it came time to rebuild, Green decided to collect rainwater instead of drilling a well. "The water that is needed to make the fertilizers has to be soft and clean," he said. "The quality of water that rainwater provides is better for our products."

"It would have been cheaper to put in a well, but the water table in this area is declining," he said. Plainview is over the Ogallala Aquifer, which is depleting at rates of 1 to 3 feet per year.

His system is an underground 20,000 gallon concrete tank that runs rainwater through an ozone treatment recirculation system to disinfect the water and then through an ultraviolet light, making the water readily available and up to drinking water standards.

Green said it has always been a dream project for him, and he is anxious to get rainfall in the recently completed system.

Local governments are incorporating rainwater harvesting into their policies. Some cities and counties provide financial incentives for rainwater capture systems to encourage residents to conserve water.

The City of Austin Water Conservation Department promotes both residential and commercial rainwater harvesting by offering rebates from $30 to $5,000, depending on the system.

Rainwater harvesting projects in San Antonio are eligible for up to a 50 percent rebate of the installed cost of the system under the San Antonio Water System's Large-Scale Retrofit Rebate Program.

Universities across Texas are also catching on to the idea of rainwater harvesting. As new buildings are constructed on the Texas A&M University campus, rainwater harvesting systems are being implemented in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is a national rating scale developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage sustainable buildings.

Texas A&M recently completed the George P. Mitchell '40 Physics Building and the George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy building. These buildings include a cistern that collects and stores both air conditioning condensate and rainfall that is used to irrigate exterior landscapes and the university's first rooftop garden.

The four-building Agriculture Headquarters Complex currently being constructed will capture roof rainwater into four 9,000-gallon cisterns that are part of the canopy structure. Water will flow into a 40,000-gallon underground tank that will be used for irrigation.

Two cisterns were installed at Texas Tech University on the east/west sides of the new Raider Park parking facility across from Jones AT&T Stadium. Each cistern can hold up to 14,700 gallons of rainwater that is used to supply the landscape irrigation system at Raider Park.

Rainwater harvesting is a promising alternative for supplying water in the face of increasing water efficiency needs. "Incorporating rainwater harvesting into everyday lives," Kiffen said, "can potentially ensure sufficient water quantity for years to come."

Rain, freeze sensors help avoid road hazards

2011-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Rain, freeze sensors help avoid road hazards, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension specialist

By: Mike Jackson

DALLAS – Recent freezing temperatures and sprinkler systems have combined to create icy, hazardous driving conditions in some North Texas areas, but these problems can be avoided by installing rain and freeze sensors on irrigation systems, said Dr. Dotty Woodson, Texas AgriLife Extension program specialist for water resources.

The sensors are designed to shut off automatic sprinkler systems during rain or when temperatures drop below freezing, she said. They can be purchased at most places where irrigation equipment is sold. They range in price from about $60 to $90.

Irrigation systems can be turned off simply by the turn of a dial, but problems have occurred most often around commercial properties on weekends or overnight when no one was available to turn off the sprinklers as temperatures dropped below freezing, Woodson said. Major roads and side streets have been covered with ice as a result.

“If no one is available to turn off the system, a rain and freeze sensor will prevent a hazardous situation or wasting water,” she said.

New irrigation rules in many communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area require all new systems be fitted with the sensors, Woodson said. Some cities are also requiring that they be installed on older systems.

“Businesses should have this responsibility written in the contract with their property management or landscape company,” Woodson said.

Water-Less Jeans

2011-02-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

What If Your Jeans Could Save Up To 16 Million Liters of Water

Levi, announcnes the launch of their new jean line called Water

To learn more abou the Water

http://store.levi.com/waterless/

Water Conservation Day At The Capitol 2011

2011-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, April 27, 2011, the Texas Water Foundation will host Water Conservation Day at the Capitol. The event is held during the legislative session, so that members of the state legislature are exposed to the water conservation programs in our state. As policy makers consider important water conservation legislation, knowledge of existing water conservation programs is helpful.
This year, The Education Cooperative hosted an art contest for high school juniors and seniors in each UWCD. For this contest, the students were asked to create artwork that depicts an original water conservation messages.

Eight students were selected, two from each UWCD, to travel to Austin in the Spring for Water Conservation Day at the Capitol. Their artwork will be displayed in the halls of the State Capitol during Water Conservation Day. The students will also work as a page for a state representative during their two-day visit in April.

The winners from each UWCD Are.....

Llano Estacado UWCD Winners

Daniel Pedroza; Seminole High School

Marcial Zubiate Seminole High School

Permian Basin UWCD Winners

Tony Bradey; Sands High School

Joseph Gardland; Sands High School

Sandy Land UWCD Winners

Janet Jimenez; Plains High School

Christian Valdez; Plains High School

South Plains UWCD Winners

Stephanie Seaton; Brownfield High School

Caitlin Swaringen; Brownfield High School

Playa Festival Results

2011-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

This was the Education Cooperatives first year to participate in the Ogallala Commons Playa Festivals. Before each festival, the students are given a Pre and Post assessment to help Ogallala Commons measure their effectiveness. I am very proud of our the students in Terry & Yoakum Counties did!!

Follow the link to see how much the students improved.

http://playafestival.blogspot.com/2010/12/results-are-in.html

Lessons In Oil for Groundwater

2010-12-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

by Colin Miner
A man irrigates his field with an electric water pump in Inida. Some experts argue that with diminishing supplies of groundwater around the world, changes are needed in how it is managed. Todd Jarvis, the associate director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University, sees parallels between the planet’s dwindling oil supplies and groundwater depletion.

“Groundwater is the oil of this century,” Mr. Jarvis said at a water-use conference last week in Stevenson, Wash. “Much as we saw oil shortages grip the world, we are now seeing that with groundwater.”

Mr. Jarvis said the solution may come from studying how the world reacted to the crisis in the 1970s when the oil industry was thought to have reached its peak production.

“We are draining water from the aquifers faster than they can be replenished,” Mr Jarvis said. “The groundwater that supplies the drinking water for half the world’s population is now in jeopardy.”

Indeed, the United Nations devoted its 2003 World Environmental Day to the theme of water. “One person in six lives without regular access to safe drinking water,” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan said at the time. “Over twice that number — 2.4 billion — lack access to adequate sanitation. Water-related diseases kill a child every eight seconds,” he said.

Meanwhile, a more recent report using NASA data indicated that farmers in India, scrambling to meet the nation’s food demands, have been taking water out of aquifers faster than they can be replenished.

For Mr. Jarvis, solutions lie in moving away from the traditional precedents for establishing water law.

“The race to the pump serves nobody,” he said, referring to standard practice that generally grants unlimited water rights to individual property owners who pull it up from underground stores beneath them — ignoring the fact that wells even miles apart are likely drawing from the same aquifer.

Mr. Jarvis and other advocates suggest following the oil industry’s lead and moving to a method where all property owners over an aquifer would run it cooperatively and agree to divide the costs and profits proportionately.

“It has worked with oil with companies, countries and people working together to make the resource last,” he said. “And it could work with groundwater.”

source:http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/lessons-in-oil-for-groundwater-conservation/

We Are Still Here

2010-12-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

No worries........we are still here! I like to give the students time to find their pictures on our blog before i start posting again. We had over 1,000 people view our blog last month! WOW!! We are always proud to showcase our students artwork and I hope you all enjoyed looking at it as much as we did posting them.

The number one topic i am asked about is rainwater harvesting. A lot of people are interested in the subject but they don't know how to get started. Below is an article about the basic uses for rainwater. For more information on the topic, you can visit the South Plains UWCD website. They have pictures from their 2010 project at the BCISD school as well as information for anyone who is interested in harvesting rain water.

How To Conserve Water By Using Rain Barrels

Water is essential for all living beings. Water is everywhere around us in the air and soil. We use water for many things to drink, since we should drink eight glasses of water every day to stay healthy. We also need it in washing cars, clothes, dishes and we bathe in water to stay clean. We also have to use water to boil, put out fires, watering plants especially our backyard garden to contribute to the surroundings. There are also countless plants and animals relying on water since it is the place they dwell in, salt or fresh water and on land.

These are just a few reasons why water is significant. Most people do not understand what they are wasting water. For example, they keep the water running while brushing teeth, and even dish washing. We need to conserve water by using rain barrels, because we do not have much fresh water on earth.
Related CoverageRain Barrels - Confessions of a Convert
At first I was skeptical about rain barrels. However, as my water bill increased along with summer temperatures, I became more interested in water conservation. My initial objections were quickly erased as I learned how easy it is to collect rain water and the benefits of using FREE water for my garden and my water bill.
Rain Barrel Maintenance

Rain barrels easily make a great addition to any backyard. Not only do they help save money, but they can have a great impact on the preservation of the earth's natural resources. Although rain barrels are very low maintenance, it is still very important that they are taken care of properly to keep your water clean and your barrel useful for many years to come.

Rain Barrels And Some Neat Alternatives
Using rain barrels to harvest rainwater from your roof is a simple, low-expense solution for conserving water and saving on your water bill. Water conservation isn't something new and saving it for future gardening or even car washing can come in handy.

Rain Barrel Diverters - How to Collect Rain Water
Rain barrel diverters are one of the easiest ways you can save money around your household. Many cities are facing drought conditions or water restrictions. Because of this, water rates have been rising. While water is still one of the least expensive items we pay for, it is still becoming more expensive. And since it rain water collection is one of the easiest things you can do.We need to lessen water consumption and recycle wastewater for various purposes such as clean-up, manufacturing and agricultural irrigation.

Using a rain barrel can save you thousands of gallons of water during summer months when rain falls are scarce. Rainwater is naturally soft, which means that it lacks the minerals and chemicals associated with ground water or municipal water systems. It is clean and unpolluted. During the summertime, most water for domestic use, irrigation of lawn and garden maintenance. A rain barrel collects and stores water for use during times that need it most. Using rain barrels will likely help homeowners lower water bills, while improving the vitality of plants, flowers, trees and grass.

Rainwater stored at home gives you a water supply in case of emergency water shortage, drought damaged the water line. You can also minimize the effects of drought with rainwater collected using precious supply of tap water for essential uses, and allowing non-potable uses for rainwater. So remember, the use of rain barrel is also more environmentally friendly as it helps to save valuable water and reducing pollutants.

Source

PBUWCD Art Contest Winners

2010-11-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

We have the results from the 3rd annual Permain Basin UWCD Art Contest. The winners have received their cash prizes and certificates, so we are now ready for you to see their hard work.

There were four schools that participate in this years contest ; Elbow Elementary, Grady Elementary,Sands Elementary & Stanton Elementary. The judges, water district staff, and myself, enjoyed looking at all of the students' art work. It was interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

The following picture was our grand prize winner this year. The student's picture will will be featured on the cover of our 2011 calendar.

by Shae Uranga, a student at Elbow Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2011 Calendar.

Justin Wells, Grady Elementary

Shelby McDaniel, Stanton Elementary

Willy Reddecopp, Grady Elementary

Kayla Morin, Elbow Elementary

Makenzie Merritt, Grady Elementary

Michael Kukaly, Elbow Elementary

Montie Munsell, Elbow Elementary

Andrew Wheeler, Stanton Elementary

Chasidy Grantam, Elbow Elementary

Dora Hickam, Forsan Elementary

Jillian Jones, Elbow Elementary

Joshua Traylor, Stanton Elementary

LEUWCD Art Contest

2010-11-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

We have the results from the 4th annual Llano Estacado UWCD Art Contest. The winners have received their cash prizes and certificates, so we are now ready for you to see their hard work.

There were three schools that participate in this years contest ; Seminole Elementary, Seagraves Elementary & Loop Elementary. The judges, water district staff, & myself, enjoyed looking at all of the students' art work. It was interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

A special thanks goes out to our judges. We appreciate you taking the time to be apart of our education program.

The following picture was our grand prize winner this year. The student's picture will will be featured on the cover of our 2011 calendar.

Alejandra Macias a 4th grader at Seagraves Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2011 Calendar.

Britni Starr a 5th grader at Seagraves Elementary

Alejandra Macias a 4th grader at Seagraves Elementary

Breana Fleming a 4th grader at Seagraves Elementary

Megan Letkeman a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Rebecca Henry a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Jordan Allen a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

John Neufeld a 4th grader at Seminole Elementary

Madisen Jones a 5th grader Seminole Elementary

Zackary Thiessen a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Lacy Jackson a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Natan Ochoa a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Randy Knelsen a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

David Reimer a 5th grader at Seminole Elementary

Yoakum SWCD 2010 Conservation Jamboree

2010-10-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Sandy Land UWCD participated in the Yoakum SWCD 2010 Conservation Jamboree this past Friday. We always enjoy going to this event and talking with the 4th & 5th graders from Denver City & Plains. There were several business and individuals who presented in their area of expertise. Presentors & topics included

Bugs & Things – Manda Cattaneo -AgrilLife Extension Service
Farm Equipment – Curt Summer – South Plains Implement
Rain Simulator – Matt Pruner – NRCS
Branding Cattle – Chip Bennett – Yoakum County Rancher
Water - Crystal Hogue- Sandy Land Underground Water District
Spices - Jarrod Chestnut - Southwest Spice
Honey & Bees - Dennis Ross
Peanuts – Golden Peanuts – Steve and Riley
Wildlife – Vicki Sybert - Texas Park & Wildlife
Cotton Gin – Martin Lefevere – Farm Bureau
Weather- Cary Allen-TV Channel 11 in Lubbock

This year I wanted to do something more interactive with the kids, especially since I was scheduled to talk after the “Bee Man”. I decided to concentrate on the topic of rainwater harvesting while still stressing the importance of water conservation. The students seemed to enjoy learning about the rainwater harvesting process and asked a lot of questions.

LEUWCD & PBUWCD Art Contest

2010-10-21T13:00:00.001-07:00

The 4th annual Art contest is taking place at the Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District and the Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District. Below are the 2010 LEUWCD and PBUWCD Calendar Art Contest Grand Prize Winners.

Each water conservation district within the education cooperative sponsors an art contest for fourth and fifth grade students. The program communicates the message of water conservation to the schools by giving a detailed and interactive presentation. Winning artwork is featured in a calendar published by each district and offered free to the public.

The first place winner in each district receives a $50 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and has his or her artwork featured on the cover of the calendar. Twelve second place winners each receive a $25 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and have their artwork featured on one month inside the calendar.

The 2011 winning pictures will be featured on the Education website soon at www.savingh2o.org. We will also post the winning pictures on an upcoming blog.

Kids Say The Craziest Things

2010-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been so busy for me. We had three playa festivals, three conservation jamborees, high school art contest and now our PBUWD & LEWUCD Art contest. (wipe sweat from brow)

Having been in and out of what seems like 100 schools, this month , I have had a chance to get to know some of our kids MORE than i want to. No matter where I go, i always have that one student who wants to tell me their life story. I ALWAYS listen close because you never know what is going to come out of their mouths.

So without further ado...i wanted to share with you some of the crazy stories I have heard from our 4th and 5th graders.

1: While looking at a playa in Brownfield a girl asked me "Mrs, what is that brown rock?" I responded "Ummm...i am pretty sure that is cow poop."

2: A 4th grader explained to me how her Mom likes to wear a lot of makeup and they go driving around in her car to see if truck drivers will honk at them. HAHAHA

3: Today, some of my old students saw me in their school hall. They ran up to me and said "Mrs. Hogue i love you hair and your shirt." I wasn't sure how i felt about someone half my age complimenting my outfit. Hummm....might need to update my closet.

4: While looking for frogs at Meadow a group of boys coming running up to me fighting over one small tiny toad. They keep telling the boy holding the frog to let one of them have it to keep. The boy with the toad tells the other boys " I am sorry but I caught this frog for Mrs. Hogue to have." Ohhhh thanksssss

5: MY ALL TIME FAVORITE..... While walking alone at Rich Lake, outside of Brownfield, a little boy ran up to me and said "Mrs. Hogue you should stay close to me because i am a trained boyscout." It took everything I had not to laugh. We spent the next 20 minutes talking about all the badges he has received while being a boyscout.

Kids Kows & More: Brownfield

2010-10-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the SPUWCD presented at the Kids Kows & More program in Brownfield. Students from Wellman-Union, Meadow & Brownfield listened to presentations about cheese, beef, rainwater harvesting and forestry.

As usual, I was not able to take many pictures of the presentations because i busy presenting myself. BUT i did get a few shots when we traveled to the Meadow Farmers Co-op Gin, for a tour.

Dan Jackson, the Gin Manager, walked the students through the gin so they could see first hand how cotton is processed. Being a cotton farmers wife, I was excited for the students to see everything that it takes to produce a bale of cotton. Agriculture is such a huge part of our communities in West Texas, and i think Mr. Jackson made the students appreciate all the hard work that goes into the cotton ginning process.

Meadow Playa Festival

2010-09-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today concluded the Playa Festival at Burleson Elementary in Meadow. Students from Wellman-Union, Dawson and Burleson ,along with their teachers, took part in our two-day learning experience.

Our 5th graders enjoyed listing to the different presenters and learning about our watershed. When we went to the playa visit on the second day, the kids couldn't wait to get off the bus to collect plants and animals in their bags. We did get a little muddy, but it was nothing that we couldn't wash off later.

A special thanks goes out to all of our presenters this week and our schools and their awesome teachers and staff. Also to the Terry County NRCS, Jackie Pate, Terry County AgriLife Extension, SPUWCD and the Ogallala Commons. It is amazing how much we can accomplish and how many students we can reach, when we work together.

Denver City Playa Festival

2010-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

We had another great group of students at the Denver City Playa Festival. The teachers and students seemed to enjoy learning about the environment first hand.

The 5th graders and playa festival staff, took a field trip to a local playa on Monday. The students collected plants, bugs and anything else they could find, to use for their art mural the next day.

On Tuesday, we traveled to the local land fill. We learned about the importance of recycling and how water can effect different part of the landfill. The employees at the land fill even let us weigh our bus which was almost 11 tons.

Here are a few pictures from the festival in Denver City...

Oak Grove Playa Festival

2010-09-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, the South Plains UWCD partnered with the Terry County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Ogallala Commons to host a Playa Festival. The event took place at Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield.

The morning of the first day, 5th grade students and their teachers, were given a presentation about playas from Dr. David Haukos, from Texas Tech University. Other 5th grade students participated in a soil sample exercise presented by employees of the Brownfield NRCS.

Next, the students rotated through five presentations; Bird Identification, Playa Plants Identification, Amphibians & Macro-Invertebrate, Playa Raptors & Playa Lakes Buffers and Waterfowl Demonstration.

After lunch, the students were taken to a playa to learn first hand the type of plants and animals that live in or around playas and why playas are so important to the High Plains.

The second day of the festival, the students were given a presentation on watersheds and aquifers. They were then taken to Rick Lake, by Meadow, and were once again able to explore the great outdoors.

This is just a quick overview of the different activities that we participated in at the festival. The Sandy Land UWCD is hosting a festival today and tomorrow in Denver City. Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the South Plains UWCD will host a festival in Meadow. After all of the festivals are completed, I will update you on each presentation with more detail. Until then, enjoy the pictures below from the Playa Festival in Brownfield.

Ag & Oil Day

2010-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

This years Ag & Oil Day in Seminole was a success. The LEUWCD hosted a booth inside for adult visitors who came to the event.

The display discussed what groundwater management areas are the desired future conditions of the aquifer.

Outside, two-hundred and fifty, 4th graders from Seagraves, Seminole & Loop , gathered to hear presentations from eight different presenters. The students learned about farm animals, peanuts, cotton and much more.

I had a great time at Ag & Oil Day, in Seminole, this year. The LEUWCD hosted a booth for adult visitors.

The students and teachers were so great this year. Everyone was so respectful and were full of questions about rainwater harvesting. The LEUWCD also asked each student and teacher to guess how many gallons of water it takes to make one football. The student below had the closest guess and was awarded a sonic gift card.

Prepare to Defend Groundwater Rights

2010-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

TSCRA and allies provide forums to help landowners evaluate the inevitable debate over Texas groundwater use.

"In the long run, it is hard to see sustainable arrangements that do not involve property rights," writes a journalist in the May 22 issue of The Economist, in the article "Trade and Conserve."

The article is part of that publication's special report on water. The writer takes an international look at the subject, but includes comments familiar to Texas landowners. "These [property rights] can be traded between willing buyers and willing sellers to reallocate water from low-value to high-value uses, and they have proved their worth in the American West, Chile and South Africa," reports the publication.

TSCRA, Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Farm Bureau are collaborating with other landowner organizations to reinforce the concept that groundwater is a real vested property right in Texas.

TSCRA and our friends will work in the 2011 session of the Texas Legislature to pass a bill reinforcing this notion. It will be a battle, because other groups are aligning to take an opposing view on who owns the groundwater and how it should be managed and distributed.

In May 2010, the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts filed an amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court in the Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day and McDaniel case.

Excerpts from that document read, "The Alliance is paying the fee for the preparation of this amicus brief because the court of appeals decision to recognize 'vested property rights' in the groundwater beneath Respondents' property undermines the ability of GCDs [groundwater conservation districts] to manage, protect, and the preserve the State’s groundwater as mandated by the Texas Legislature and the Texas Constitution.

"If this theory (absolute ownership) were to prevail in this Court, groundwater conservation in Texas would be finished.

"At a minimum, GCDs would be burdened by the time and expense of defending against the regulatory or physical takings claims filed by every landowner who is not permitted to produce the groundwater underlying his property.

"Such a holding would prevent GCDs from enforcing any meaningful limits on groundwater production or, alternatively, bankrupt the districts."

To prepare for this battle, TSCRA, TWA and TFB will host on Aug. 31 the first of several forums on groundwater around the state. The forums should last a couple of hours, present the facts in the groundwater use debate and equip you to analyze the choices.

The sessions are free. See page for meeting dates, times and locations. For more information on the forums, contact Jason Skaggs, TSCRA exeutive director of government affairs, at 512-469-0171.

In the article titled "A glass half empty" in that same report in The Economist, the writer concludes, "… supply and demand will find an equilibrium. The greatest chance of it being a stable and fairly harmonius one is the spread of democratic self-management among informed farmers," and informed landowners.

By Ellen H. Brisendine : Source The Cattleman August 2010 Issue

September

2010-08-30T06:41:00.001-07:00

With school now in full swing, our Education Program has a full calendar for September. Next Tuesday we will be participating in the farm tour in Yoakum County. The following weeks will be spent working three playa festivals, school visits for Water Conservation Week at the Capitol, Calendar Visits for LEUWCD & PBUWCD, Ag & Oil Day and Kids Kows and More. So be sure to check back with us for some exciting blogs and pictures!

All the water that will ever be is, right now.
National Geographic, October 1993

First Day of a Great Year

2010-08-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Education Cooperative would like to wish all the teachers, students school administration a wonderful first day of school today! We are excited about all of the exciting projects/presentations that we will get to share at our schools this year. With the playa festivals, conservations festivals, calendar contests, and Water Conservation at the capital project, we will be busy this Fall!

Remember you can help save water at school by:
Not leaving the tap running for a long time while you are washing your hands.
Turning off taps when you have finished using them.
Reporting leaking taps and toilets to teachers. One drop per second equals 7,000 litres of water wasted per year.
Washing paint brushes in a bucket or ice cream container
Monitoring water use by reading the water meter on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons so you can discover if there is any hidden leaking pipes (see how to do a water audit).
Nominating water monitors to check for leaks and running taps.
Designing signs to go near taps and toilets that tell everyone at school how they can save water.
Telling your friends how to save water too.

Teacher Lesson Plan Packets

2010-08-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our blog has been “under the weather” the past few weeks. I have been busy getting our program ready for another school year. We have so many NEW programs and presentations , to share with the 4th & 5th graders in our Education Cooperative in the 2010 & 2011 school year.

A project that has consumed my life, the past few weeks, is the teacher lesson plan packets. I have compiled over 100 lessons plans on the topics of groundwater and water conservation. The lesson plans were put into a binder for all of our 4th grade teachers, who currently work in a school within our Education Cooperative. We hope that the schools will be able to use some of the lesson plans throughout this school year. I will start delivering the packets today!

We will also be updating our website soon, with a few lessons plans for teachers to download. So, be looking for that at savingh2o.org in a few weeks!

Does this water butt make me look phat?

2010-08-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Why, yes it does, because as you surely know by now, collecting rainwater for garden re-use in “water butts” (known as “rain barrels” here in the US) is a smooth conservation move. Therefore, it’s time to get off your butt and get your own butt installed, and this free guide from Dobbies.com is in fact, pretty phat!

While I was browsing their site I tried hard to dispel the sophomoric giggles about the “butt” double-entendre, but of course I could not. One thing I learned besides water harvesting tips: cropping is a powerful tool in that can be used for nefarious purposes in the hands of the wrong person!

by Gayle Leonard on Friday, July 16, 2010
via. http://blog.gayleleonard.com

Pioneer Woman Photography On Water

2010-07-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

If you have never visited The Pioneer Woman's website, well here is your chance! I am an avid reader of her blogs and post. One of the sections , on her website, is dedicated to photography. Every few weeks she picks a topic and readers can submit their photos to flickr, for a chance to win a prize.
This weeks photo topic was WATER!!!!! I have had a great time looking at all the pictures that people from around the world have submitted. It is amazing how different people can capture one thing is so many different ways.
If you have a chance, surf on over to her site and look at the amazing pictures. Below, are a few photos that i selected as my favorites.

By The Momarazzi Chronicles

By mamasmonkeyfarm

By Schlueter

By toddnjenifer

By The Opuses

By lookagain_1

By janine1968

Alexandra Cousteau Tells Katie Couric, "The Thing Every Human Has in Common Is Our Need for Water" Magazine: glamour.com

2010-07-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Once in a blue moon, I feel the need to read a woman’s magazine. I guess to find out "what jeans are right for my body type", or "what fashion trends are in this summer". All of those really important topics that woman need to know.

So while enjoying my guilty pleasure, I noticed an article with the word WATER splashed across the page. My heart started racing at the thought of actually finding a blog-worthy article in my woman’s magazine!

While the article hits on some water issues, I must admit, it is totally P.R. based. Nonetheless, it is still exciting to see articles about water conservation issues, where one wouldn't expect.

The daughter and granddaughter of legendary ocean explorers, Alexandra Cousteau, 34, tells Glamour columnist Katie Couric why the world’s water—both on the seas and in your faucets—is in danger. But she also shows how we all can help.

To read the article – visit the link below

Alexandra Cousteau Tells Katie Couric, "The Thing Every Human Has in Common Is Our Need for Water" Magazine: glamour.com

TSCRA Outlines Plan To Fight Groundwater Ownership Issue

2010-07-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Livestock Weekly June 24,2010 Issue
By Colleen Schreiber

GRAPEVINE — The groundwater ownership issue is thought by some to be the number-one property rights issue facing Texas landowners.

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has made the issue its top priority now and into the immediate future. That was the message that Jason Skaggs, executive director of government and public affairs for the association, brought to members during the recent summer meeting here.

In his presentation he addressed some recent facts and issues related to water demand as well as regulatory changes and actions, a pending judicial opinion at the Texas Supreme Court, some legislative interests, and some statements and actions of various groups.

First he noted that the population of Texas is expected to more than double by 2060. Given that, the Texas Water Development Board’s latest projections indicate that water demand will increase by 27 percent. And, because more than half of the state’s groundwater comes from its aquifers, the state’s water resources will obviously have to be managed if the state expects to meet its demands long into the future.

Today the majority of the land in Texas comes under purview of one of the state’s 96 groundwater conservation districts. The first of these districts was created in the 1950s but the vast majority were created in the late 1990s after the passage of landmark groundwater legislation Senate Bill 1. Some of these districts, Skaggs noted, were created by petition, but the vast majority were created legislatively. Some are tax-based districts; others are fee-based districts. Most of the districts operate under Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code.

Groundwater Management Areas, created in 1995 and drawn for the most part along aquifer boundaries by the Texas Water Development Board, were meant to serve as a tool to help GCDs and the citizens of Texas plan for groundwater management in the future. In 2005, with the passage of HB 1763, Skaggs said, the legislature drastically changed the way groundwater is managed in Texas.

“Having been at the legislature through that process, I can tell you that piece of legislation was primarily intended to be a planning tool for groundwater districts. It was never meant to be a regulatory tool,” he insisted.

Skaggs explained that HB 1763 requires that GCDs in each of the 16 GMAs develop a joint management plan that establishes, in a quantitative manner, the desired future condition of each aquifer within the GMA. The DFC is what they want a particular aquifer to look like in the future.

“An example of a DFC could be that water levels do not decline more than 100 feet in 50 years, or that spring flows are not allowed to fall below 10 cubic feet per second during a drouth of record,” Skaggs said.

TWDB then plugs the DFCs into their groundwater availability model to come up with what they term the managed available groundwater.

“The reason this is so important is because these GCDs are required by law to implement the MAG number into their management plans,” Skaggs explained. “The state reviews them to make sure those are included.”

Regional water planning groups are also required to use the MAG number in their planning efforts and, as Skaggs explained, that dictates a lot of what happens with respect to funding and water supply projects across the state.

“The bottom line is that these GCDs’ DFC number not only impacts the individual landowners of that particular district, but it also impacts the entire planning region where some of these water projects are taking place.”

Unfortunately, according to HB 1763, the availability determination does not have to take into consideration any impacts such a number might have on the rights of landowners across the state. In fact, as Skaggs explained, HB 1763 allows GCDs to establish restrictive DFCs and possibly even set a cap on overall production and deny any permits once that cap is reached.

Some districts, in fact, interpret that HB 1763 allows them to establish a prohibition against issuing permits in excess of the MAG. Once the cap is computed, the district could even create a special priority permitting system. For example, they could, under this law, decide first to allocate the MAG to historic and existing users, Skaggs said, and then they could choose to divide up the rest of the water among other users — ranchers, for example, who have historically been conservative users of groundwater.

One more possible scenario is that if no groundwater remains after the allocation of historic and existing users receive their allocation, the GCDs could, in theory, deny all other landowners the opportunity to produce groundwater other than for household or livestock use.

“The potential for conflict between GCDs and landowners,” commented Skaggs, “is very obvious in this process. It’s certainly possible that those who have historically conserved the resource by producing less or not producing any at all could be left with few or very little rights at all,” he reiterated. “This could really put the GCDs in the position of adjudicating water rights, or in other words, deciding which landowners will get water and which ones will not.”

In fact, it’s already happening, to some degree, in Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District.

“Some have said these districts aren’t really going to cut people off. Well, those of you who live around Bastrop are finding out. In March the Lost Pines district passed a resolution issuing a moratorium on all permits excluding some of the exempt permits,” Skaggs told listeners.

All GCDs within the 16 GMAs have to submit their DFC number by September 1. To date, approximately 43 percent of those DFCs have been submitted to the TWDB, Skaggs said.

Some of the DFCs, such as the ones in the Panhandle, are being challenged. The problem is that even the process of challenging the reasonableness of these DFCs, Skaggs told listeners, is stacked against the landowner.

“Even if the TWDB determines on appeal that the GCD’s DFC is unreasonable, nothing requires the GCD to change its decision.”

Skaggs next discussed in some length what he expects to see in the upcoming legislative session with respect to groundwater. He noted that many of the water bills filed during the 2009 legislative session are likely to reappear. Already the issue of groundwater ownership has come up in the legislative interim committee hearing.

“We currently are awaiting the appointment of the Senate Natural Resources Committee chairman,” Skaggs told listeners. “That will really play into this.”

He also predicted with some conviction that the DFC and MAG issues will be addressed again in the upcoming session.

“It’s difficult to discuss those issues without talking about the big elephant in the room, and that is groundwater ownership,” he added. “The Supreme Court decision will likely come out before the next legislative session, and that could play a role in what happens, as well.”

He was referring to the pending Texas Supreme Court case, EAA v. Day McDaniels, a case which he referred to as “one of the most important groundwater cases in recent memory.” TSCRA submitted an amicus brief.

The Texas Alliance for Groundwater Districts also submitted an amicus brief. Skaggs shared some of the quotes within that brief, which should, at least, serve as a reality check for landowners.

Reading some of the quotes from TAGD’s brief, Skaggs said, “The alliance is paying a fee for the preparation of this amicus brief because the court of appeals decision to recognize ‘vested’ property rights beneath the respondents’ (Mr. Day and Mr. McDaniel) property undermines the ability of groundwater conservation districts to manage, protect, and preserve the state’s groundwater as managed by the Texas legislature and the Texas Constitution.”

The key phrase in that particular quote and the word emphasized and repeated by Skaggs when he read it to the audience was “the state’s groundwater.”

A second quote from the brief: “If this theory of absolute ownership were to prevail in this court, groundwater conservation in Texas would be finished.”

“The vested rights theory is what landowners prescribe to, that landowners own the water beneath their property,” Skaggs reminded.

A third quote from TAGD’s amicus brief: “At a minimum, groundwater conservation districts will be burdened by the time and expense defending against the regulatory physical takings claims filed by every landowner who is not permitted to produce groundwater underlying his property. Such a holding would prevent GCDs from enforcing any meaningful limits on groundwater production or alternatively bankrupt the districts.”

“Basically, they don’t want the landowner to have any recourse,” Skaggs told listeners.

He concluded the long discussion with his personal favorite: “If the district is unable to say no to any landowner’s permit for groundwater production without facing a regulatory or physical takings claim, groundwater conservation in Texas is dead.”

“That’s a pretty strong statement,” commented Skaggs.

Skaggs wrapped up his presentation by outlining TSCRA’s action plan. Last August TSCRA conducted a joint leadership meeting with the Texas Wildlife Association to discuss the groundwater issue. In October TSCRA passed policy urging the Texas legislature to reaffirm the ownership of groundwater in place and as a vested real property right. TWA passed similar policy, Skaggs said.

These organizations met again in February, along with the Texas Farm Bureau, and together they developed a joint statement on the ownership of groundwater.

“Essentially, the statement emphasizes the need to reaffirm that the landowner owns the groundwater and also that we support local control and management of groundwater versus state control, but we want those regulations to be reasonable,” Skaggs told listeners.

In May these three organizations created Texas for Groundwater Rights, a coalition of like-minded people and organizations dedicated to leading the fight on the vested rights issue of groundwater.

The coalition is in the process of developing more information which can be used by members to help educate the public and also members of the legislature. The coalition is also planning a series of regional educational meetings on groundwater issues. Finally, the coalition is in the process of developing a strategy to address specific groundwater concerns during the next legislative session.

“This is and will be a monumental undertaking which should not be underestimated,” Skaggs told listeners. “We’re going to need every member of TSCRA to be active and involved in that input, but we also need you to be informed. So when we get this information out to you, we really need you to take that information and use it,” he stressed.

Skaggs wrapped up by saying that the management of groundwater resources can be accomplished while respecting the ownership issue.

“We want to work with the districts, but we have a ways to go based on their recent amicus brief,” he admitted.

“Reaffirmation of groundwater rights assures protection against unreasonable infringements on property rights in Texas,” Skaggs said. “Our joint statement elaborates on this.

“Absence of this protection because of fear, bias, prejudice or desire to protect will result in a loss of groundwater rights for landowners. This is a top priority for us. If we don’t do this, we’re going to be looking back some years from now and regret that we didn’t take a stronger stand on this issue,” he concluded.

Seminole Library

2010-06-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

I had a great time visiting the kids at the Library in Seminole today. Two presentations, about the water cycle, were given to, two groups of students. Everyone was so well behaved and seemed to enjoy the story we read together! Here are a few snapshots from today’s presentation.

SERIOUS FACE

SILLY FACE

Greening Your Bath Water – Conservation Tips

2010-06-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoors, 3/4 of all water is used in the bathroom.

One easy and inexpensive way to green your bathroom is to simply save water. Reducing your personal water usage has a tremendous positive impact on the environment and on your wallet. The first step is being mindful of your habits. Do you leave the water running while brushing your teeth? Does your husband shave with a constant stream of hot water running from the faucet? Do you let warm-up water go down the drain while drawing a bubble bath? Changing one of these costly habits will result in immediate savings to you and your planet.

To save even more money by conserving water, consider installing an aerator on your faucet. Without an aerator, water usually flows out of a faucet as one big stream. An aerator spreads this stream into many little droplets. This helps save water and reduces splashing.

Showering represents approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use in the United States—more than 1.2 trillion gallons of water consumed each year. Inexpensive and simple to install, low-flow shower heads can reduce your home water consumption as much as 50%, and reduce your energy cost of heating the water also by as much as 50%

To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms.

You can also purchase an inexpensive “tank bank”. This may save ten or more gallons of water per day.
TIP: Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.

If you are in the market for a new toilet, consider a “low flush” model which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the usual 3 to 5 gallons.

Replacing an 18 liter per flush toilet with an ultra-low volume (ULV) 6 liter flush model represents a 70% savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30%.

No matter what model toilet you use, never flush garbage of any kind. Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted.

source: greenlivingguide.org

Seagraves Library

2010-06-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the morning talking to a group of students at the Seagraves Community Center. The Seagraves Library hosts a summer reading program, for youth in their community, every summer. I was asked to be a guest speaker this year, and was excited to get a chance to talk to their students.
I started the program by talking about the water cycle and the diffract components that help make it possible. The kids seemed shocked to learn that the water they use or drink, could be from when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
We then read the book, A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw McKinney. We learned how a single water droplet can make its’ way around the world, by using the water cycle. The single drop traveled to jungles, desserts, glaciers and even ended up inside a cows stomach.

We ended the morning by playing the Project Wet activity “The Incredible Journey”. In this game, the students would become water droplets and go on an incredible journey, like the water drop in our book. I had eight stations set up, and the students would roll a dice to see which location they would go to next. Sometimes they would be a drop in a lake and other times they would be in a cloud. Each station also had a bucket of beads, in different colors, to represent that location. The students had a bracelet, and each time their journey took them to another location, they would collect that color bead to place on their bracelet. At the end of the game the students and I discussed where everyone had went on their incredible journey by looking at the different color bead on their bracelet

The students in Seagraves were wonderful to work with and I look forward to talking to them next summer!

Funny Pictures Spring 2010

2010-06-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things that I love about my job, but there has always been one thing that stands out among everything else. I absolutely love looking at ALL of the students pictures from our art contest.
There are always those few pictures that stand out because of the incredible artwork, but those are not the ones that I anticipate to see. Sometimes I will get a few pictures in my piles that make me fall out of my chair laughing. It is so funny to see what the students come up with, from what I have said to them about water conservation. Sometimes it is the picture that makes me laugh, other times it is the spelling or the message they are trying to portray. But enough with me blabbing….have a good laugh

I thought this one was cute because the dog bowl is HUGE! it would take a 800 lb dog

Seems that someone has been watching CNN! but not sure what "dont smoke clouds" means

" The more you drip the more the tip"?
"Collect rain water and give it to your pets."
I didn't know what kind of pet this was

this one is just cute! I love the zebra

"save water by washing your clothes when it is raining." I did not teach them this!

My Aggie boss was the only one that could read this....

What your lawn at "nite" or night

This picture is going to hang in my office! I love it!

I guess i am a sucker for a good rhyme

The Real Cost of Water

2010-06-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

To view the article, click on the image and you will be directed to a site where you can zoom in to read the article in full.

South Plains UWCD Art Contest Winning Pictures

2010-05-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

The South Plains Underground Water Conservation District is pleased to announce, the 13 winners for their 4th annual Calendar Art Contest. There were three schools that participate in the contest; Wellman-Union Elementary, Burleson Elementary in Meadow and Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield.
We enjoyed looking at all of the students' creative work and their original ideas they illustrated. It is interesting to see the water conservation message portrayed in so many unique ways.

The grand prize winner, whose artwork will be featured on the cover of our 2011 calendar, is

Makayla Perez, a student at Oak Grove Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2010 Calendar.

Hunter Neil, Wellman-Union Elementary

Elisabeth Peters, Wellman-Union Elementary

Karli Lambert, Wellman-Union Elementary

Erick Gonzales, Oak Grove Elementary

Justin Garcia, Oak Grove Elementary

Jasminne Garcia, Oak Grove Elementary

Robert Sanchez, Burleson Elementary

Katlen Garcia, Burleson Elementary

Gabriella Soto, Burleson Elementary

Eadon Hunt, Burleson Elementary

Aliyah Castillo Burleson Elementary

Helen Griesbrecht, Burleson Elementary

Sandy Land 2010 Art Contest Winners

2010-05-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District is pleased to announce the 13 winners for their 4th annual Calendar Art Contest. There were two schools that participate in the this years. They are Plains ISD and Kelly Dodson Elementary in Denver City . We always enjoy looking at all of the creative ways that the students portray the message of water conservation. We are looking forward to next years contest.

The grand prize winner, whose artwork will be featured on the cover of our 2010/2011 school year calendar is;
Paola Verdugo , 5th grader at Kelly Dodson Elementary

The following students' artwork will be featured on the monthly pages of our 2010/ 2011 school year calendar.

Jacee Billings, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Trenton Freemon, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Xylena Pillai, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Erin English, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Lupita Martinez, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Fransico Ontiveros, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Riley Boyd, Kelly Dodson Elementary

Peyton McWhirter, Plains Middle School

Jonathan Loya, Plains Middle School

Leigha Williams, Plains Middle School

Angelica Villarreal, Plains Middle School

Bryson Roper, Plains Middle School

the face lift.....

2010-05-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

A face lift is defined on wordnetweb as "a renovation that improves the outward appearance but usually does not involve major changes."
An employee in our Education Cooperative has NOT received a face lift, but one of our offices has made a few minor changes.....

The South Plains UWCD is now the happy owner of a new sign at their office. While this may not be a huge change to some of you, it is for us! The office was created in 1991 with a logo that some may say was "busy". The District decided to simplify the original logo and give our district a "face lift" with a new bold logo.

We are proud of our new look and we hope you enjoy our new sign, and logo, as much as we do!

The South Plains UWCD has also just revamped their website! The new site has very eye catching graphics (especially the header) and is very easy to maneuver from one page to the next.

But don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself...
www.spuwcd.org

Congratulations to the South Plains UWCD for your new sign/logo & your new website!
I guess we all need a little nip/tuck every once in a while

Local Pioneer: Free Rain, Free Watering and Exercise All in One

2010-05-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Local Pioneer: Free Rain, Free Watering and Exercise All in One
by Doug Pushard

Always looking to do more with less? Like help the environment and getting exercise at the same time? Well Larry Gilg did, and he found a way: "I hooked a water pump to a bicycle trainer and use it to pump water out of my rainwater system." Watering his yard, totally for FREE and getting exercise at the same time.
Read on for an interview with innovator Larry Gilg and his highly creative sustainable yard watering system.

Larry, when did you become interested in capturing rainwater?
I became interested in rainwater harvesting several years ago. It was becoming evident to me that our culture is almost totally dependent on energy derived from hydrocarbon based fossil fuels for our basic needs: food, water and shelter. I am convinced that this cannot continue, and I decided to try to live "off-grid", or to try to provide food, water and shelter for my family without going off and starting a survivalist retreat in the mountains.

So, to get started on the food and water requirement, I spaded up several garden plots in my urban backyard, and commenced to try to grow vegetables. I was surprised the first year at the amount of water poured on the plots, just to see the tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers and other stuff simply burn up in the Austin, Texas hot July sun. I now have about 250 sq. ft. of garden planted, and am learning what crops to plant when. I don't expect to be able to feed a family on 250 sq. ft., but I am using this to learn how to grow stuff.
It quickly became obvious that a local source of water will be required if I was going to truly be sustainable. For garden watering requirements, say, an inch of water on 250 sq. ft., requires something like 155 gallons of water. So I set out to capture free rainwater to meet this requirement.

Why did you use linked rainbarrels versus one large tank?

My property has a detached garage, the back of which is about 8 feet from the rear property line. This was always kind of waste space - the shade of the garage and the tree canopy kept the space in shadows most of the time and as there is no alley, it is right up against the neighbor's back yard, not a good place to try to landscape. Since it is not visible from the street, it was used simply as a dumping ground for old lumber and yard waste. When I started thinking about collecting rainwater to use to water my vegetables, the garage roof seemed like the best solution for a collector. It is about 850 sq. ft. in area, and has a continuous gutter around all four sides, except where it was parted at the back to allow the hot water vent (its a two-story garage apartment) to pass.

In researching rainwater storage barrels, the most popular, and cost effective barrels have a 6 foot or larger diameter. If I located that behind the garage, it would become almost impossible to walk around it. This seemed impractical to me. I got the idea to stack used 55-gallon container on their sides to get around this problem. The barrels are 3 feet tall, or take up 3 feet when laying on their sides, and allowing even one foot for the plumbing fittings, still leaves almost 4 feet of space in front to move around the barrels, which is ample

I would have liked to gather enough water to get through a typical long dry, hot Austin summer, say 4 months without rain. If you consider putting an inch of water on 250 sq. ft. of garden every 3 days for 4 months, I need storage capacity of over 5500 gallons. That's 100 55-gallon barrels. There was no way to get that many barrels in there, and it sounded excessive, anyhow. The whole project is in the nature of an experiment, and I wasn't even sure how deep the barrels could safely be stacked. On surveying the site, I determined that there was a sort of natural space for 10 barrels laying on the ground; which would give a total of 27 barrels when stacked 3 high. Twenty seven 55-gallon barrels gives a total storage capacity of 1485 gallons. So, I bought 9 barrels and plumbed them together, filled and drained them several times to make sure that they were stable and then bought the rest.
I paid $20 per barrel (used syrup containers), for a total of $540, which is less than half of what a typical large cylindrical barrel would cost. Of course, figuring in the plumbing fittings, I'm sure it’s pretty much the same cost as a single large barrel, and a lot more labor to connect.

How much water do you harvest?
My garage roof is about 850 sq. ft, (it’s a 4-car garage), so an inch of rain can potentially supply 475 gallons of water into the catchment; theoretically 3 inches of rain should fill all the barrels. However, the in reality it is much more than 3 inches. There were 4 downspouts originally on the garage, one on each corner of the rectangular structure. The plumbing for the two downspouts at the rear of the building was fairly simple to route into the barrels, but the two on the front would have been more difficult, expensive and would have been an eyesore and obstacle around the structure, so I simply plugged the downspouts up so they don’t drain. There is a slight “fall” toward the rear so water will flow the right way. However, in heavy rains, the water flows over the sides of the gutter as the increased volume can’t flow through the two remaining downspouts.
Another “bottleneck” is the filtering system I used. Since the barrels can’t really be cleaned, I am trying to keep them as clean as possible. I have installed a filter collector in the downspout that also has losses at high flow rates.
I have a large pecan tree that towers over the garage, so keeping the gutters clean is a challenge. I have not heard of a system to keep leaves out of gutters that I have confidence in working. With all the losses in the system, I probably get about a third to one half of the water that hits the roof. I could improve that with better plumbing, obviously, but I’m content with that for now.

So tell us a little about your bicycle and pump setup?

It is simply a normal everyday bike, hooked up to a trainer that has been converted to pump water to my sprinkler.
Water is gravity fed from my rainbarrels to my bike and pump. When I pedal it creates the water pressure necessary to push the water with enough force to drive the sprinkler to water my yard.
When finished pumping, the bicycle may be quickly released from the trainer to be used in its normal transportation mode. It takes about 30 minutes to empty a 55 gallon rainbarrel at a fairly leisurely pace.

So Larry, what do your neighbors think?
I have heard good remarks from them. They think I’m crazy, but they aren’t faced with the evidence every day (i.e. all the weird stuff is in the backyard).

What’s the next project?
I have a larger rainwater harvesting system in mind and want to expand my watering system to be able to water more of the yard. I want to mount a 55-gal barrel around 10-ft off the ground, and pedal it full every other day or so, then have a drip irrigation system to allow it to seep out on the garden.

Martin County Health Fair

2010-05-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Martin County Health and Safety Fair was held May 6th at the Martin County Community Center in Stanton, Texas. The Health Fair was a joint project of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Martin County Hospital and the Martin County Family and Consumer Science Committee.

There were over 300 in attendance at the Health Fair this year. We had a great time visiting with people in the two counties and talking to them about water conservation and water testing.

The Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District (PBUWCD) sponsored an exhibit. The display showed visitors the steps to safe drinking water and the laboratory services that are offered through the PBUWCD.

The booth also displayed literature about the Desired Future Condition process and told those who stopped by about our water district.

For more information on the exhibit or about water sampling, contact the PBUWCD at 432-756-2136 or visit their website at http://www.pbuwcd.com/.

NPGCD Water Festival: Part2

2010-05-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

My next stop at the festival was at the “We All Live Downstream” presentation given by an employee of the NPGCD. The students discussed the effects of pollutants and pesticides on the earth while using a model. Each student was able to add a different type of pollutant to the model and at the end of the presentation; water was poured on the model, to represent rain. The pollutants that had been sprinkled over the model ran down the model into a muddy contaminated puddle.

Traveling outside, I saw a man speaking to a group of students by a fishing boat. He was with the Texas Parks and Wildlife and was talking to the students about the different pollutants in the water and how they affect the habitat in various bodies of water.

The No-Know Game was a fun activity put together by the Frank Phillips College students. The 4th graders played a game similar to candy land but the questions and squares were topics associated with groundwater.

The Incredible Journey was indeed a journey to find! The students were in the school gymnasium and when I walked inside there were kids running around everywhere! Once I finally got the idea of how the game was played, I was wishing I had arrived sooner so I could have played!

The 4th graders discussed the water cycle with the Frank Phillips College students, and how one water drop can take a journey in many different forms. The students pretended that they were a drop of water and each student would roll a dice to show were they needed to travel to next, as a drop of water. The students also had a leather bracelet and at each station they would stop at they would get a bead to put on their bracelet. The different stations included a soil, animals, swimming pools, glaciers and many more.

There were a few presentations that I was not able to visit. I did enjoy those that I was able to sit in on and it seemed like the four graders had a great time participating in every classroom.

I haven’t been in the panhandle of Texas since I was a little girl looking for a Brahman show steer with my father. I enjoyed the drive to and from Perryton and I took a few pictures on my drive home of Lake Meredith & of the sunset.

NPGCD Water Festival: Part 1

2010-05-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I visited the panhandle town of Perryton, for the North Plains Groundwater Conservation Districts’ (NPGCD) water festival. The event was hosted at Frank Phillips College Allen campus. The Public Information and Conservation Education Manager for the NPGCD, Kirk Welch, was kind enough to allow me to visit each presentation at the festival so I could get an inside look at what it takes to host such an event.

Fourth grade classes located within the NPGCD were bused to the Frank Phillips college campus for a day of learning about groundwater. The students had just finished their TAKS testing so they were more than happy to be out of the classroom for the day!

I began my morning at the H20 Olympics. This particular class was taught by Frank Phillips College students. The students were told about the cohesion and adhesion.

Cohesion is the term for molecules of a substance sticking together. One of the most common examples is water beading up on a hydrophobic surface
Adhesion is the tendency of certain dissimilar molecules to cling together due to attractive forces. In contrast, cohesion takes place between similar molecules.

As part of their Olympics game, the students were asked to see how many water droplets they could place on a penny. The students used an eye dropper to test their cohesion skills.

Other students were busy with their own experiment. They were trying to see how many pennies they could drop in a glass before allowing the water to come out of their glass. One group of boys had 115 pennies in their glass!

My next stop was at the “What’s In My Water” station, taught by NPGCD Randy & Dale. They were teaching the students about the different components that can be tested in water. The students were then able to test the PH level of the water in the classroom.

I then traveled down the hall to “Get the Groundwater Picture”, that was being taught by Brenda Gillespie of the Panhandle GCD. Brenda spoke to the students about the water cycle and the different aquifers in the United States, including the Ogallala. She showed the students the importance of clean water and conservation by using her groundwater model.

The “Aquatic Artwork” station was taught by the Frank Phillips College students. The 4th graders were asked to draw a picture of what water reminds them of. I enjoyed walking around and seeing what everyone was drawing and I had to hold myself back from picking up a brush and making my own picture!

Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of my visit to the NPGCD Water Festival…..

For more information on the Festival visit the NPGCD website at www.npwd.org/water_festival.htm

Oak Grove & Girls Scouts

2010-04-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I had the opportunity to visit with the 4th & 5th grade students at Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield. I talked to the 14 classes about the South Plains UWCD Calendar Art Contest. By the time I had finished giving the same presentation 14 times I was a little tired of hearing myself talk. However, I did finish every presentation with our deal or no deal water wise game, and I never got tired of playing that with the students! The girls and boys at Oak Grove were great and I can’t wait to see what pictures they draw for our contest!
I finished the day with a visit to the Brownfield Girl Scouts.

Some of the girls are home schooled, so one of the parents asked if I would come and speak to them about our calendar contest. The girls were full of energy and willing to help me with anything I needed!

I even had my own little case opener!

I asked them if I could take their picture for the blog and told them to pose very serious…..this was the 3rd picture we took because they wouldn’t stop giggling :)

Then I told them to do something silly……..

Thanks Brownfield Girl Scouts for making me smile…

2010 Water Wise Workshop

2010-04-20T08:43:00.001-07:00

The 2010 South Plains UWCD Water Wise Landscape Workshop was this past weekend at the First Christian Church in Brownfield. Door prizes were given out to those in attendance. Door prizes included a rain barrel, and plants donated by Little Red Riding Hood nursery in Brownfield.

Our guest speakers for the day were Janette Scott, a certified Master Gardner in Lubbock.
Randall Marriot, licensed irrigator and owner of irrigation dynamics in Lubbock.

Gary Bryant, Agrilife Extension specialist for water programs in Fort Stockton.

Water Wise Landscape Workshop

2010-04-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

The South Plains UWCD will be hosting a Water Wise Landscape Workshop in Brownfield this Saturday. We hope to see you there....

Texas Groundwater-Your Future Conference

2010-04-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

For more information, visit the Permian Basin UWCD website at
www.pbuwcd.com

Meadow & Wellman Union School Visits

2010-04-09T11:36:00.001-07:00

It is finally time for our cooperative to start visiting our 4th & 5th graders for our South Plains & Sandy Land UWCD Calendar Art Contest. I enjoy spending time with the students and teaching them about the importance of water conservation.

This week I was able to visit Burleson Elementary in Meadow & Wellman Union Elementary. I talked to the students about how they could conserve water inside and outside their homes and we played a water conservation version of deal or no deal. We then discussed the UWCD Calendar Art Contest and when I told them that they could win $25 or $50, their eyes began to light up.

Below are a few pictures from the Wellman Union group this morning. I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the Meadow students due to a dead camera battery. But I do have a very cute story from my visit at Burleson Elementary.

One of my helpers kept asking me what they were going to win if they won the deal or no deal game. I would say “a pat on the back” or “you will just be the winner.” Obviously this wasn’t good enough for him so he said he had a GREAT idea of what they could win. He said his team could win my husband’s tractor because he has the best tractors around this area. He went on to tell his classmates how awesome my husband’s tractor is and how it would be the best prize. Trying not to burst into laughter, I told him I would talk things over with my farmer to see if we could fulfill his wish. Luckily, his team did not win but oh how I loved his imagination. My farmer does not have the best tractor around but I wasn’t about to tell this little guy otherwise.

My Score Keeper.

My little Vanna White's
Getting ready to answer a question.

Martin County Community Banquet

2010-03-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the Martin County Community Banquet in Stanton. I was there representing the PBUWCD. The District had a display set up to show those who attended,what the PBUWCD offers to citizens in the county.

Coming from a small town myself, I always enjoy being around those who hold the same small town values as traditions as myself. It is so great to see so many people come together to support their community. The banquet had a host of speakers including employees of the Martin County Extension office and others who held county offices. The principals from the two schools in the county, Grady & Stanton, presented two students from their schools with student of the year awards and also gave a teacher or the year award.

The community also awarded a person of the year award and an Ag family of the year award. I had such a great time being with a room full genially caring people and a loving community.

Resources, Naturally Planning the Future of Groundwater

2010-03-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

The deadline for groundwater conservation districts (GCD), within each of the state’s 16 GMAs, to set their Desired Future Condition (DFC) is September 2010. That date is fast approaching, and GCDs are discussing what the right or wrong DFC is for their area.

The article below weighs in on the DFC process and concludes with the true purpose behind the madness. Post a comment below and let us know what you think about the DFC procedure.

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Resources, Naturally Planning the Future of Groundwater
By Paul Sugg
TAC Legislative Staff

What do you want the future to look like?

We are not often given the opportunity to answer a question like this with any certainty, but some of us might get the chance to have some influence on the future of the state’s groundwater resources. This will be accomplished by groundwater management experts agreeing upon the desired future condition of the aquifers managed by groundwater districts.

Since 1904, Texas groundwater has been ruled by the law of the biggest pump or, more diplomatically, the rule of capture. With a number of exceptions, the rule of capture allows landowners to pump as much water as they choose without being liable for claims from surrounding landowners that the pumping caused their wells to go dry or diminished their production. (The Texas Supreme Court established this principal in 1904 in Houston & T.C. Ry Co. v. East, often called the East case). In more recent years, the court has reaffirmed the rule of capture and deferred to the Legislature regarding the regulating of groundwater; the Legislature has stated its preferred method for regulating groundwater is the creation of groundwater conservation districts.

When the court arrived at its decision in 1904, it noted the general and particular knowledge of groundwater — how it acted, how it moved — was lacking, and without that adequate knowledge, the court was hard-pressed to go beyond affirming the rule of capture:“Because the existence, origin, movement and course of such waters, and the causes which govern and direct their movements, are so secret, occult and concealed, that an attempt to administer any set of legal rules in respect to them would be involved in hopeless uncertainty, and would be, therefore, practically impossible.”

Thankfully, science has progressed a bit since then, and we have a greater (albeit unperfected) understanding of the water underneath us. Local groundwater districts, together with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), work toward a better understanding of the water underground. Back in 2005, the Legislature passed a law designed to encourage regional cooperation and collaboration among groundwater districts in a groundwater management areas (GMA). The districts within each of state’s 16 GMAs are directed to conduct joint planning and, through a process which includes assistance from and cooperation with TWDB and regional water planning groups, to establish the desired future conditions for their groundwater resources. The determination of the desired future conditions for these groundwater resources will be accomplished by September of this year.

Groundwater is important to the present and future of Texas: it represents 59 percent of the water used in the state. Groundwater feeds springs, creeks and rivers and thus is an essential component of the state’s surface water resources. This interaction between groundwater and surface water bears greater study, as does the impact of long-term drought on rainfall and, ultimately, groundwater and surface water levels.

An additional issue complicates this: the question of regulatory takings. Does setting a desired future condition for an area, and in effect, placing pumping limits, constitute a taking of private property? That’s a question for the lawyers and, in fact, there is a case currently before the Texas Supreme Court asking that question and there are a good number of people interested in the answerI

So there it is: by taking in and weighing all these complex political, legal and scientific factors, we can, as a people, determine what we want our groundwater resources to look like in the future. By carefully husbanding these resources, we can at least take an educated stab at predicting and arriving at a sustainable future for the groundwater resources of our state.

After all, this is the whole purpose of the state water planning process begun in 1997 by SB 1, to ensure generations unseen and unknown will have adequate water resources to live their lives. Or we can choose a more rapid depletion and an uncertain future for those that follow. We are a free people: the choice is ours.

source: T.A.G.D. via email

2010-03-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

National Groundwater Awareness Week

7th-13th ,2010

National Ground Water Awareness Week, March 8-14, is a time to recognize the importance of groundwater and water well stewardship to our nation’s future, the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) said today.

Not only do about 12 million households nationwide rely on private wells for their water supply, many community water systems rely on groundwater in whole or part to meet water demands, and groundwater supplies much of our nation’s water for agricultural irrigation. Groundwater, makes up about 95 percent of all available fresh water.

source: Texas Groundwater Protection Committee

Everyone can easily become good stewards by protecting groundwater through the proper storage, use, and disposal of hazardous household substances. These include common products such as gasoline and oil, paints and paint thinner, fertilizers, weed killers, pesticides, and cleaning products.

For more information on National Ground Water Awarness Week, vist the following websites:
National Groundwater Association http://www.ngwa.org/
Texas Groundwater Protection Committee www.tgpc.state.tx.us/

Spring is Here

2010-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

We have a few more weeks until the "official" day of Spring but Spring fever has already hit my desk! The Education Cooperative will be hosting and participating in numerous events for the months of March, April & May. I will be blogging about each event as they arrive. Until then, here is a hint of what you can expect...

H20 Image Contest: Round 1 Winner

2010-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, David Kozlowski! The competition was impossibly tough, but in the end I kept going back to your beautiful photo. I love it.

As the winner of this photo assignment, you win a $25 gift card to Target. Contact savewater@windstream.net to claim your prize!

The other photos submitted were so beautiful. I will be posting a new contest soon! So stay tuned! Here are a few other favorites to tide you over.....

H2O Image Contest: Round 1

2010-02-17T10:10:00.001-08:00

I have needed to add new pictures to our presentations that are given to the students, for some time now. Our current pictures consist of 1980’s art graphics that make me sick to my stomach every time I click over to the next slide! SO IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE, and you’re going to help me do it!

We will be hosting a H2O Image Contest on our blog! So all of you graphic artist and photographers, this is your time to shine! Rules and Prizes are listed below...

RULES:
H20 Image Contest. There will be four rounds to the contest, with one winner for each subject matter. A subject will be chosen and participates are asked to email their picture or graphic to me. The following week I will announce the winning picture and that person will be awarded with a $25 gift card to Target.
* One photo submission per day
* Submit your favorite photos that demonstrate water use in agriculture
* Finalists will be selected based on creativity, clarity, color, and how well it falls under the assignment category

ROUND ONE:
This week I want a photograph or graphics of Water Use in Agriculture. The word agricuture is defined by dictionary.com as;the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming.

For example; you could send a picture of this

Or maybe this

Or something along the lines of

You get the idea!

EMAIL PICTURES to: savewater@windstream.net
Winner for Round 1 will be announced: TUESDAY February 23rd
GOOD LUCK!

To Make The Best Better

2010-02-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Denver City 4-H Club

I received a call yesterday morning from a frantic Mom who had forgotten to book someone to present at the Denver City 4-H meeting. Being a veteran 4-Her myself, I couldn't leave her in a bind, I agreed to come.

I had so much fun with the girls who attended last night. I was able to sit-in on their 4-H meeting and learn of their past and present 4-H projects.

Soon, it was my turn to speak. I talked to the girls about water conservation and the importance of saving water in and around their home. We then played Deal or No Deal and had a great time. My favorite part of the night was when my little Vanna White would open the cases. She was very sassy, and took her job very seriously! I may need to hire her to travel around with me!

I would like to thank the Denver City 4-H Club for inviting me to speak! I hope to come back and talk to their club again soon.

On a side note: I apologize for the quality of the pictures posted today. I am still trying to learn how to speak and take pictures at the same time. It is not easy!!

E. Coli in the fountain soda supply?

2010-02-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Someone once told me, that you could tell how clean a restaurant or gas station is, by how clean its bathroom is. Thanks to this person’s statement, I now have to take a peak in any bathroom before I sit down for dinner.
Some may call me crazy, but I can’t help wonder and pray when I go somewhere to eat that the cook or lady filling the fountain machine has washed his or her hands in the last 24 hours.
The below Times article, does not help put my wondering mind at ease. The article analysis 90 soda fountains to find if they were dispensing more than fizzy beverages.

E. Coli in the fountain soda supply?

Soda fountains may dispense more than Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper, according to new research to be published this month in the International Journal of Food Microbiology. In an analysis of 90 soda and water samples taken from fountains in 30 different fast food restaurants in the Roanoke Valley region of Virginia, researchers from Hollins University found that 48% tested positive for coliform bacteria, or bacteria found in human and animal feces, 11% tested positive for Escherichia coli, and more than 17% tested positive for Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, which has been shown to cause pneumonia and even meningitis in people with compromised immune systems. So, how are these microbes ending up in our cokes? And, what does it mean for public health?

According to standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the public water supply cannot have a heterotrophic plate count (HPC)—or basic concentration of microorganisms—higher than 500/ml. (In Europe, the standard is 100/ml.) Yet, the researchers point out, there are no government regulations in place for the liquids dispensed from soda fountains. In this study, 20% of water and soda samples had HPC counts higher than 500/ml.
So, how are those bugs getting into the soda supply? As part of the study, researchers observed people using soda fountains to determine whether bacteria might be introduced by touching nozzles with their fingers. But, of the 281 people observed, only 5 (or 1.8%), actually nudged the nozzles. What's more, even people who got refills seldom touched the nozzles with their used cups—only 2 of 47 (or 4.2%). Amy S. White, a biologist at Hollins and lead author of the study, says she was surprised. "That was our first guess. I would have guessed that this was hand-touching—I thought that kids or people were putting their hands on the nozzles, but it's actually a really small population."

Understanding how the bacteria enter the soda fountain is key, White says, because once it's introduced, it can thrive and multiply in what is effectively a closed system. In the study, White and colleagues found that soda samples collected in the morning had far higher levels of bacterial contamination than those collected later in the day, something she hypothesizes likely has to do with the fact that, overnight, as the plastic tubes feeding the fountain aren't being regularly flushed, bacteria can take hold and grow. "What we think is happening is that there are communities of bacteria living in those tubes inside those machines—a biofilm," she explains. "As the machine gets used, the top layers of the biofilm get washed out." But, when few people are buying sodas, the liquid isn't being flushed through the tubes. "Overnight they multiply—and most bacteria can double every 20 minutes—so it doesn't take long for a whole lot of organisms to grow."

If it isn't likely down to customers putting dirty fingers on the nozzles, though, what could be introducing the bacteria that ultimately may be creating this biofilm? White and colleagues confirmed that the municipal water supply met all EPA regulations, and that there were no outbreaks during the study period, so the bacteria wasn't likely coming from the water. And sodas purchased in plastic bottles that were tested as controls showed no microbial contamination, so it wasn't likely the syrup. Previous research had found similar problems—where clean water entered a fountain but contaminated water came out—leading White and colleagues to believe that it was in fact the soda fountains, but where were these bacteria coming from?

Read the full article:

http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/01/12/e-coli-in-the-fountain-soda-supply/

Catchment Detox

2010-01-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

Take a minute from your Facebook farmville and try this similar game...

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What is Catchment Detox?

It’s an online game where the player manages a virtual river catchment. The game goes for 100 turns and you make as many changes to the landscape as you like (you can also do none!) before taking your next turn. The aim is to create an environmentally happy catchment with a sustainable and thriving economy.

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What are the values in the game? What does it teach?

The Catchment Ecosystem – What happens in one part of a catchment can affect the rest of the catchment. Taking water out of the river for irrigation means that downstream industry and environment is affected.

Water Planning - there is often low rainfall so it’s important to prepare for that by building weirs and dams to store water and/or by introducing water restrictions when needed.

A Healthy Environment - Looking after the environment (water quality, biodiversity and making sure there is enough water for the environment) is important. But not just for its own sake: it’s vital to ensure the future sustainability of our rivers and land so we can maintain viable agriculture, industrial and tourism sectors.

Producing Food - it’s important to produce food for the population, otherwise we need to import food which is both expensive and unsustainable.

Best Practice Agriculture – using ‘environmentally-friendly’ options for agriculture can markedly reduce the impacts of agriculture on the environment.

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Managing waterways is a huge challenge with climate change, increased demand for water and environmental problems putting our rivers under stress. Catchment Detox gives an idea of just how difficult it is to manage a river catchment.

Are you up for the challenge?

http://catchmentdetox.net.au/home/

Kid Menu H20 tips

2010-01-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

Pepper people who save water? Who ever heard of such of thing?

Chili's restaurant, Pepper Pal Kid's Menu, features a pepper family ,and their green and red dog, as water savers! The menu has two activity pages that include a rainwater harvesting maze and a water wisdom quiz. The quiz lets Chili's smallest customers score their daily water saving skills.

It is so exciting to see everyone coming together to encourage one another to be more water wise. This blogs idea came from a young and VERY cute water saver in Plains Texas. Helee Blount saved his menu for me to use on our blog. Thanks Helee ( and Mom Amber)

The Visual Water Dictionary

2010-01-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Visual Water Dictionary attempts to cut confusion on ambiguous water terminology with easy visual references.

Term: Plume
Plume is an underground pattern of contaminant concentrations created by the movement of groundwater beneath a contaminant source, with the contaminants spreading in the direction of groundwater movement. The source site has the highest concentration, and the concentration decreases and dissipates away from the source.

Often Confused With...A Plume is a feathery accessory attached to a hat or other headgear. This plume floats merrily along with the direction of the wearer, and tends to disrupt the concentration and sight lines of other persons near the Plume’s source

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Term: Slurry
Slurry is a liquid mixture of insoluble matter resulting from some pollution control techniques, such as the water used to remove impurities from coal. Slurry has been known to pollute local drinking water supplies by seeping into groundwater, lakes or streams.

Often confused with…Slurpee
Slurpee is a semi-frozen, carbonated drink sold by 7-Eleven stores (originally sold as Icees). Slurpee drinks are served fountain-style at a frosty 28 degrees. Slurpees have been known to pollute automobiles by seeping between seats into upholstery and floor mats.

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Term:Cake In the final stages of wastewater treatment, Cake is the dried material produced when sludge is de-watered. It is usually used as a fertilizer or transported to a landfill.

Often confused with…Cake is a moist and delicious material produced when certain ingredients (including water) are mixed and baked. It is often used in celebrations. Packaging and broken-down ingredients usually end up in landfill.
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Today’s term: Mixed Liquor...In wastewater treatment, a mixture of activated sludge and water containing organic matter for activated sludge treatment in an aeration tank.

Often confused with…Alcoholic beverages which contain alcoholic liquids that are distilled, not fermented, and one or more other ingredients. Note: may or may not contain water.

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I came across the water dictionary through a witty blogged called Thirsty in Suburbia. Let's face it, water is not the most exciting topic to read or talk about but this website does a good job of living the topic up a bit.
http://blog.gayleleonard.com

New Year’s Resolution.

2010-01-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

Resolution: "The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. Resolving to do something…"

“For many, the beginning of a new year brings the commitment, promise and plan to change one's lifestyle." Many resolutions are made but difficult to carry out Statistics show that somewhere in the vicinity of 97% of New Year's resolutions won't be kept.

"Making a New Year's resolution to save water and limit water use is good for the environment and the pocketbook.” Not to mention, it’s a lot easier to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth than losing ten pounds.

We have compiled a small list of water saving tips to get your started on your new year and new you. GOOD LUCK

•Water no more than two days a week during the winter months.

•Water before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. to prevent water evaporation.

•Limit watering to 15 minutes outdoors each day per station. Use a weather based controller to prevent overwatering during wet weather.

•Use a hose nozzle with a shut off valve while washing your vehicles.

•Turn off decorative water features unless they re-circulate water.

•Repair your leaks immediately. This could save you hundreds of gallons of wasted water a month.

•Avoid water waste by doing your best to limit water use while doing yard work. Don't allow water to runoff onto sidewalks, driveways or gutters. Use a broom instead of a hose to wash down paved surfaces.

•Install water-saving shower heads, hose nozzles and faucet aerators.
Source: CNN Money.com

Schwarzenegger talks water on '60 Minutes'

2009-12-29T05:28:00.000-08:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sat down with CBS' Lesley Stahl to talk about the water fights that have dominated California politics for decades.

The interview aired Sunday night as part of a "60 Minutes" segment called "California: Running Dry."

Here's the video:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on the report.

PBUWCD: Month of January

2009-12-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

2009 is coming to an end and I am sad to see it go. So sad, that I thought for the Permian Basin UWCD calendars that I would leave the dates for the month of January as they were in 2009 and not 2010. Yes I have made a mistake. I apologize to those who you who have received the misdated calendar but I have your solution below.

To download the corrected month of January for the Permian Basin UWCD 2010 Calendar,

right click the picture below

select save picture as: choose desktop and hit save

the below picture will then be on the desktop of your computer

Right click the saved file on your desktop: then select PRINT

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“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying... that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” ~Alexander Pope, in Swift, Miscellanies

"Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player." ~Author Unknown

"When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm. "~Dan Heist

Link It To Me: Round 2

2009-12-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

Link It To Me is a list of links suggested by my Twitter followers. I am in no way promoting any products or contests by featuring a link on this blog. It is a way for my readers to see different ideas or products that they may not come across in their daily googling sessions.

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Eco Sign
Are you lost again? Turn to the nearest manhole for help then. I’m not kidding as we’re showing you an innovative design here, the ‘Eco Sign’. It is a digital manhole that provides information about location of public transportation. Simply put your left or right foot on it for 2 seconds, the manhole will then refer you to the nearest train station or bus stop. More amazingly, it is powered by rainwater.

More About the Eco Sign : http://tinyurl.com/yjxlau3
Source: livebit.com

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Flying Water Catcher

“I hope I live long enough to own one of these! The fanciful Water Catcher, conceptualized by Penghao Shan from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China, is a finalist in the Electrolux Design Lab ‘09.”
“It is a robotic “birdie” that flies about, returning home with a bounty of water gathered from rain or humidity. The idea seems a bit silly initially, but watch the video; you’ll likely be won over with the “wants” for the little hydro-whirlybird like I did. Even the Jetsons didn’t have it this good!”

Source: http://tinyurl.com/ycyuc46
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Saving Water, Staying Clean

New York Times article by By STEPHEN TREFFINGER.

Treffinger, did a study on 17 shower heads to find which one used the least amount of water, but still provided "an acceptably robust shower", among other things. His findings are interesting.

Read his findings: http://tinyurl.com/yjjso6y

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Send your links to a interesting website or article, on the subject of water conservation , to : savewater@windstream.net with Link It To Me as the subject

Texas Commodity Symposium : Amarillo

2009-11-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

Wednessay December 2nd: Texas Commodity Symposium
Amarillo, Texas

Hope to see you there.....

Texas Commodity Symposium Will Address Impact of Irrigation

AMARILLO, Texas – The ninth annual Texas Commodity Symposium will focus on an issue that seems to be on everyone’s mind – water.
Nearly 40 percent of the crops grown on the Texas High Plains are irrigated, making irrigation a vital portion of the region’s economy. Thanks to better crop varieties and water conservation practices, farmers are now able to produce more using less water. The impact of the region’s total crop production to the regional and state economies is estimated at $2.1 billion and $2.2 billion respectively.

How important is irrigation to the economic activity of the High Plains?
According to Darren Hudson, professor and Larry Combest Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness, irrigation directly contributes $1.6 billion to the economy of the High Plains, and indirectly contributes $2.5 billion to the area. Approximately 16,000 jobs can be attributed to irrigation, which is worth $630 million in regional income.
There are also several unmeasured positive impacts of irrigation, such as property values and tax bases in rural areas, which are all tied to the regional economic activity and activity in population centers like Amarillo, Hudson said.

Hudson will address the positive impacts of irrigation on the economy of the High Plains at this year’s symposium. He will be joined by a panel of Amarillo and Texas Panhandle businessmen and community/regional representatives who will discuss ways to address the challenges facing water conservation, agriculture, rural communities, and urban populations to promote and protect the long-term viability of this key economic base for the region.

The Texas Commodity Symposium will be held in conjunction with the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show in the Grand Plaza Room at the Amarillo Civic Center. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the Symposium will begin at 9 a.m. The event is free to all and will conclude with a catered lunch at noon. There will also be a Washington Perspective on issues such as indirect land use, cap and trade and healthcare, and updates from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency.

The symposium is hosted by Corn Producers of Texas (CPAT), Texas Grain Sorghum Association (TGSA), Texas Wheat Producers Association (TWPA), Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. (PCG) and the Texas Peanut Producers Board (TPPB). Everyone is invited to attend.
For more information, contact Lindsay West Kennedy, communications director for the Corn Producers Association of Texas at (806) 763-2676 or at lindsay@texascorn.org.

source: texaspeanutboard.com/TCS2009_WaterPanelPR.pdf

6 Thanksgiving Water Saving Tips

2009-11-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is fast approaching….as well as that extra pant size. With more family time and bigger notches on your belt, comes gallons of wasted water. A typical American Thanksgiving dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water. To help you stay green and on Santa’s water saving “good list”, listed below are 6 ways to save water during Thanksgiving.

1: Run the dishwasher efficiently.

2: Cooking That Turkey

The best way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator. It takes about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. If you are like many Americans, you need to 'speed-thaw' the bird. Keep the turkey in the original tightly sealed bag and place it in a clean and sanitized sink or foodservice safe pan. Submerge in cold water and change the cold water every 30 minutes. The turkey will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. Our imaginary turkey is 10 pounds so it would take 300 minutes with 10 changes of water. If you used only 10 gallons of water each time, it would add up to 100 gallons per turkey. If 1/2 of the turkeys in the US were speed-thawed, that's over 2 BILLION gallons of water. Any way you look at it, we use enough water to create a sizable Turkey Lake just to get Mr. Gobbler ready to cook.

3: Impressing your guest

Your having the family over at your house this year for Thanksgiving? Impressing the aunts and uncles with a nice green lawn are always high on your list but unnecessary and wasteful. Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers. You can save up to 300 gallons per time but opting to impress the extended family with your homemade bread.

4: Leave the China in the closet

5: Cleaning up the Leftovers

Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better--compost!).

6: HALF TIME.

The point of all this is not to have you eating bologna sandwiches for Thanksgiving, but as you let your belt out after dinner, you may want to give thanks for living in a time and place that allows such enormous energy and water use.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: wattbusters.com , usnews.com

Extreme Makeover Home Edition

2009-11-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

I have a good explanation for not blogging last week. The LEUWCD is sponsoring a rainwater harvesting project at the Gaines County Show Barn. We started installing the system last week. So I was busy shoveling and gluing and tucking my nice slacks in my boots.

As much as I would love to give you all the details on the rainwater project, I can’t. We will be completing everything one week from today. Check back then for an entire blog on the project.

Last night I was waiting to watch Desperate Housewives on ABC, and had to sit through ten minutes of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Luckily enough I turned the TV on in time to see that Ty, the host of the show, and his team had installed a rainwater harvesting system in the chosen family’s yard. My heart started beating a little faster just thinking of all the people watching the show who would see that segment.

Rainwater harvesting is something that all of the districts involved in our cooperative, try to educate their communities on. The amount of money and water that you can save by having a system at your home is astonishing! So to have a popular TV show supporting water conservation through rainwater harvesting…..made my water saving heart happy.

I was not able find the link to the clip but I did find pictures from the show on ABC’s web site. To view the pictures, click on the following link http://tiny.cc/U42lc