Memorandum Agenda Item 11b 03/10/2000

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The U. S. Bureau of Reclamation has developed a comprehensive set of water education lesson plans under their Water Education for Teachers program, also known as Project WET. Discussion In order to be as brief as possible, the merits of a water education initiative that were described in detail in my November 1999 memo are only listed below: • Water conservation education is a CWCB goal and responsibility. • The program is a highly visible way to enhance our image. • The program effectively teaches kids about water conservation. • The lesson plans are neutral on contentious water and environmental issues. • The program is cost effective. • The amount of money requested is reasonable. • The Construction Fund is an appropriate source of funds. • CWCB staff time to manage the project will be minimal. There are approximately 54,000 5th grade students in Colorado. The unit cost for the Learning to be WaterWiseTM Resource Action Program is $32 per student. The following table shows the associated costs for various goals as a fraction of the target audience and for a range of cost sharing options. Goal Students Total 75% 50% 25% 1/3 18,000 $576,000 $432,000 $288,000 $144,000 1/4 13,500 $432,000 $324,000 $216,000 $108,000 1/5 10,800 $345,600 $259,200 $172,800 $ 86,400 1/6 9,000 $288,000 $216,000 $144,000 $ 72,000 1/8 6,750 $216,000 $162,000 $108,000 $ 54,000 1/10 5,400 $172,800 $129,000 $ 86,400 $ 43,200 Under a 50% cost sharing arrangement, approximately 1/8 of all 5th grade students could be reached for$108,000. At this level of funding, state funds could leverage local funds to reach twice the number of students reached last year. Under the Learning to be WaterWiseTM Resource Action Program, each student receives a Resource Action Kit with water efficient fixtures for their homes, a LivingWise Interactive CD- 2