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Water' Festivals - Teaching our Young Students about Water () ~ Ten years ago, Tom Cech from Central Colorado Water Conservancy District started the first water festival in Colorado. This year there will be approximately 70,000 students attending water festivals around the state. There are also water festivals held in several other states, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico and California to name a few. Children's water festivals feature outside water activities, open session activities, as well as closed classroom activities. Water companies show how water is distributed throughout the city, U.S. Geological Survey teaches the measurement and PH of water, Division of Wildlife shows the relationship of wildlife and water, and the Colorado Division of Water Resources discusses the priority of water rights. Many other presentations might include: gold panning, irrigation, fighting fires, keeping our water sources clean and water safety. It is a big education day for presenters and students as well as teachers. Some festivals have great community involvement with live radio or TV broadcasting, newspaper photographers, bank and local business sponsorships. Festivals are usually held on college campuses where they have open areas as well as classrooms for closed sessions. Some are held at fairgrounds and conference centers. Water festivals give an opportunity for governments, water companies, and organizations to be involved in the education of our students. In La Plata County, this year's festival will be held on April 17 and 18 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Students and teachers from Lake City to Dove Creek and Silverton to Ignacio will be attending. Anyone interested in a first hand look at the festivals is welcome to attend. . Water Brief for Southwest Colorado Mike Smedley, Water Information Program Education projects: The Water Information Program participated in the 2000 Land Care Exposition, held on Feb. 12 in Cortez. It has been held annually for the past several years for local residents to gain information regarding soil, water and land management on small or large acreages. The water festival season has begun, and the Water Information Program participated in the seventh annual Children's Water & Agriculture Festival, held on March 7, in Cortez and sponsored by the Dolores Water Conservancy District, the San Juan Basin Farm Bureau, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Southwestern Water Conservation District. The 5th annual Children's Water Festival will be held in Durango on April 17 and 18 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds (see the preview article in this issue of the Water Letter). Animas La-Plata hearings: Just as Interior Department Secretary Bruce Babbitt said he will press Congress to enact Animas-La Plata Water Project legislation, officials wrapped up A-LP hearings in Durango, Farmington and Denver during mid-February. Public comments will be accepted through April 17 at the Bureau of Reclamation's Durango office, 835 E.Second Ave., Durango, Colo., 81301 Weather: Drought year? While late-spring storms can add substantially to the snowpack, so far its been a mild and dry winter. fu of March 1, the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan River basins had only two-thirds of their average snowpack. What impact will recent storms have on the water situation? What are the projected steam flows or the SWE (snow water equivalents)? Here are some Internet links that can help to answer these questions and give forecasts of what's to come. The monthly Colorado Basin Outlook Report from the UDSA Natural Resources Conservation Service is available on-line at http://www.wcc.nrcs. usda.gov/water/w _qnty.html. In addition to the reports, water supply forecast information for the western U.S. is available here from the NRCS and the National Weather Service monthly from January through May. Another great link is http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov. Water conservation information is also available on the Water Information Program's website at http://www.waterinfo.org. Click on "water conservation tips" for indoor or outdoor water-saving strategies. . 1 Did You Know? . The rivers in western Colorado account for more than 90 percent of the water that leaves the state. Most of the state's water is located on the west side of the Continental Divide. . More than 75% of the water in the Colorado River belongs to out-of-state interests and cannot be used in Colorado. 2