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“Reduce the use.” That’s the mantra of a water conservation campaign spearheaded by the LSU AgCenter in North Louisiana, where people are dependent on the gradually disappearing Sparta Aquifer.
This aquifer, which is an underground layer of gravel and porous stone that holds water replenished through rain, is losing 12 million gallons per day that aren’t being replaced. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, current use from the aquifer is 64 million gallons per day while the breakeven usage is 52 million gallons per day. And this is where the drinking water for 15 North Louisiana parishes comes from.
“We take water for granted, and we can’t continue to do that,” said Robin Bridges, AgCenter agent in Claiborne Parish. “It’s like a bank account. If you take more out than you put in, then eventually you’ll run out.”
To help stem the aquifer depletion, LSU AgCenter agents have mounted a major campaign to encourage water conservation. This campaign has involved many programs over the years, including an initiative aimed at all the school children in the LSU AgCenter’s North Central Region.
Turn Off Faucets
4-H agents make contact with the schools, kindergarten through high school and distribute guides for the teachers and fact sheets with a survey on the back for the students. The students take home the surveys to help assess water use for one week.
“You can conserve water without depriving yourself or changing your lifestyle,” said Karen Martin, 4-H regional coordinator. “That’s our message. Kids are a good vehicle for getting at their parents and other adults. People are surprised at how much water they were using.”
No. 1 on the list was to turn off the faucet while brushing teeth. Leaving the water running uses an average of 5 gallons of water.
“The kids added this up for their families during one week and realized this was a lot of water wasted,” Bridges said. “It’s not unusual for a family to use 50 to 75 gallons of water per day.”
Follow the water-saving tips taught to the school children. Take the survey. See how much water you use and can save!
Reaching Sixth Graders
Bridges has focused water conservation education on sixth graders for the past six years through a program called “Water Fest.” Every spring for two days, the Claiborne Parish schools bus sixth graders to the Lake Claiborne State Park. Bridges involves educators from the AgCenter and other state and federal agencies to teach the children about water conservation and water quality.
On May 1-2, 2008, more than 200 sixth-graders from seven Claiborne Parish schools participated in Water Fest. Bill Branch, LSU AgCenter water research specialist, demonstrated a flow meter and taught water conservation tips such as washing dishes by hand if you have one batch, using low-flow showerheads, putting a pistol grip on the hose to wash the car and replacing gaskets on leaky faucets.
“Each one of us can make a difference,” he said.
Todd Sewell of Natural Resources Conservation Service and Lauren Tichenor of the Claiborne Watershed District told the group the average family uses 200 gallons of water a day, then broke the students into two teams that had to fill a 95-gallon container a bucket at a time, relay style. It took them 15 minutes.
“I hope you enjoyed learning about water. It is your future we are talking about,” Bridges told the group this year at the conclusion of the event. “What each of us does will make a cleaner world. Share what you learn with others.”
The Claiborne Watershed District provided T-shirts for those in attendance.
Getting Noticed
The heroic efforts of the LSU AgCenter to help preserve the Sparta Aquifer have not gone unnoticed. Here are a few comments:
“It’s a critical public education effort. From a voluntary standpoint, citizens can practice good personal habits without changing their lifestyles and reduce [water pumping] easily by 5 million gallons.” – Rep. Hollis Downs, R-Ruston
“We commend the LSU AgCenter for realizing the importance of saving the primary source of fresh water in North Louisiana. We urge other governmental groups to follow the AgCenter’s lead and not wait until the Sparta sands are dry. By then, it will be too late. We must act now to save the Sparta Aquifer.” – Ruston Daily Leader editorial
“It’s going to be through the younger generation that we are going to be able to provide sustainability.” – Paul Coreil, vice chancellor and director, LSU AgCenter
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.
(This AgCenter Lead was updated on Aug. 20, 2008, by Linda Benedict.)