Water Matters Issue 3
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2007-12
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Water, ignored unless there is too much or too little, lately has become an increasingly major player in the public’s perception. From Katrina to massive flooding in the Midwest, from record drought in the Southeast (with Atlanta being literally days from running dry), to rampant wildfires in southern California, waterrelated issues are increasingly recognized as of central concern to the economy, the environment, and public safety. Locally and regionally, water issues also loom large. For instance, Delaware Governor Minner recently declared a drought watch for the state (WRA was on the panel that made this recommendation). Issues such as the protection of riparian buffers, water treatment, concerns over water supply and surface water contamination, as well as regional disputes regarding flow in the Delaware River Basin have all become hot topics lately. At the municipal level, the Students Megan, Sallyann, and Shelley, and staffers B.J. and Troy pause for a picture after volunteering for the Christina Basin clean up.
Through our project work, collaborations, research, and involvement in advisory panels, WRA seeks to address many of these pressing issues. We have produced the new round of Water Resource Protection Maps to help guide protections in New Castle County, drafted the Pollution Control Strategy for the Christina Basin in collaboration with a multi-agency, multi-state task force, finalized a draft of the State of the Delaware River Basin Report (the scope of which extends into upstate New York and includes drinking water supplies for millions of people), worked with localities to draft source water–protection ordinances, and even helped map the catch basins around campus. Big or small, broad or narrow, these and other efforts by WRA all seek to protect the resource we all use daily, but
which sometimes does not get the attention it deserves.