BOARD01536

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/2000
• Description: CF Section - Non-Reimbursable Projects - Water Education Initiative
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

03/20/00 12:50

'a'970 330 4546

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I4J 005/007

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Water curriculum is an important part of water education in our
state. In 1995, the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
completed an $86,000 Section 319 grant from the Colorado Water
Quality Control Commission to develop water curriculum materials
for preschoolers through 12th grade in northeast Colorado. Dr.
Donn Adams and Ray Tschillard of the University of Northern
Colorado led the project. Practicing teachers formed writing
teams to develop materials. Teachers, water officials,
attorneys, engineers, and others reviewed the curriculum. To
date, over 1,400 copies have been distributed.

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Other curriculum has been developed including SPLATTE, by Wendy
Hanophy of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Project WET, by
Dennis Nelson of Montana State University and used by the
Colorado Water Conservation Board, materials by the Denver Water
Board, City of Aurora, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy
District, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, and others. Water
curriculum is a very useful tool for educators to use in and
outside the classroom. It is very important that it be as local
as possible. For example, classroom activities regarding the
South Platte River can be more relevant to a class in Fort Morgan
than a general session regarding naming the longest rivers in the
world.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has sponsored the RiverWatch
Program for many years. Students and teachers are trained to
collect river water samples in designated areas. This extensive
program is statewide, has produced substantial water quality
data, and has p~ovided students with ~eal-world opportunities to
work with wildlife professionals.

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The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District has drilled
groundwater monitoring wells at schools in eastern Colorado.
Students sample these wells and provide data on nitrates,
groundwater depths, temperature, and pH, Newspaper inserts have
been developed by Central and the Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District. The Colorado Water Congress has
established a Water Education Committee to provide water
information to elected officials, realtors, developers, and
others across the state. The Colorado Water Education Foundation
was formed several years ago to try to coordinate water education
activities in the state. It had a difficult jOb, and was not
entirely successful. The Southwestern Water Conservancy District