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<br />.,. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />agencies, municipalities, and private business have provided funds locally (For a detailed list of <br />sponsors see page 4 of the Colorado Summary Report). There has been no funding from the <br />State of Colorado: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Water conservation education is a CWCB goal and responsibility. One of the statutory <br />duties ofthe Board is "to foster the conservation of the water of the state of Colorado by the <br />promotion and implementation of sound measures to enhance water use efficiency in order to <br />serve all the water needs of the state, to assure the availability of adequate supplies for future <br />uses, and to assure that necessary water services are provided at a reasonable cost" [Section 37- <br />60-106 (I) (r), CRS]. The "dissemination of information regarding water use efficiency <br />measures, including by public education, customer water use audits, and water-saving <br />demonstrations" has been one of the nine water saving measures that a covered entity must <br />consider in developing a Water Use Efficiency Plan pursuant to Section 37-60-126, CRS. Goal <br />8 of the Board's Long Range Plan is "to assure that Colorado citizens, including key <br />communities and interests, have ready access to the high quality information which will be <br />needed for the protection, conservation, and development of Colorado's water resources." The <br />WaterWise program is primarily aimed at educating families about in-house domestic water <br />conservation, so the Department of Agriculture probably would have less of an interest in <br />funding the program than we would. As a matter of policy, the Department of Education does <br />not endorse specific individual curriculum. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The program is a highly visible way to enhance our image. Both water users and <br />environmental groups can support the program. Positive media coverage is often generated <br />because saving resources, helping families, and improving education are basic themes. The <br />1998-1999 program resulted in several favorable newsletter and newspaper articles for program <br />sponsors (see Attachment 1 to the Summary Report). By supporting theprogram, we <br />demonstrate our commitment to water conservation directly to water providers. <br /> <br />The program effectively teaches kids about water conservation. Structured classroom <br />activities and Ilands-on, real life home projects provide a fun learning environment. The <br />educational success of the program is measured through before and after student surveys. The <br />average post-survey score was 87% compared to 29% on the pre-survey. Water efficient fixtures <br />were installed in more than 88% of the homes. <br /> <br />The lesson plans are neutral on contentious water and environmental issues. An <br />objective of the CWCB's Long Range Plan is "to provide the leadership and support necessary to <br />assure that the water related components ofDNR's environmental education programs are <br />factual, objective, and highly effective in reaching the key communities and interests." The 14 <br />activities of the Learning to be WaterWise program are listed on the attached Student Activity <br />Guide Summary. They cover a wide range of generic water resource topics. Staff could easily <br />provide additional content specific to Colorado such as major drainage basins, snowmelt runoff, . <br />aquifers, water supply systems, reservoir storage, and changing water use patterns. <br /> <br />2 <br />