MSU Extension incorporates water related information into programs in agriculture, natural resources, public policy, home economics and youth education. The MSU Extension Water Area of Expertise has for the past several years sought to address the following broad goals:
·
Assist in preventing
degradation of surface and groundwater with an emphasis on nonpoint sources of
pollution, by providing educational programs and materials;
·
Enable clientele to
adopt or refine practices to protect water quality and quantity, and;
·
Establish strong ties
with other organizations and agencies working on water quality and quantity
issues
The Water AOE is discussing new ways to report what we have learned and accomplished. We have created a power point presentation which provides ideas for utilizing the EIS logic model in reporting.
Campus-based:
Jon Bartholic, Institute of Water
Research; Eckhart Dersch (retired), Resource Development;
Amy Derosier, MNFI,
Erin Dreelin,
Fisheries and Wildlife and Center for Water Sciences;
Geoff Habron, Fisheries and Wildlife and
Sociology;
Tim Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering;
Ruth
Kline-Robach (MSUE Water Quality Coordinator), Institute of Water Research;
Allen Krizek, MI Groundwater
Stewardship Program;
Dave Lusch, Remote Sensing and GIS,
Steve Miller, Biosystems and Ag
Engineering;
Steve
Safferman (co-chair), Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering;
Howard Wandell
(retired),
Fisheries and Wildlife;
Lois
Wolfson
(MSUE Water Quality Coordinator), Fisheries and Wildlife and Institute of
Water Research. County-based:
Darren Bagley, Genesee;
Bindu Bhakta, Oakland;
Beth Clawson, Van Buren,
Roberta Dow, Grand Traverse;
Terri Gibb (co-chair), Macomb;
Jane Herbert, KBS;
Lyndon Kelley, KBS;
Don Lehman, Montcalm.
Advisory Committee:
The AOE's advisory committee helps to prioritize issues, strengthen
partnerships, and provide input to the Water Quality team. A list of
Water Quality Advisory Members
Team Goals and Activities:
1.
Improve inland lake
quality by developing educational/outreach materials on inland lake
management and water quality protection, providing training to lake leaders
across Michigan, and working with state agencies to promote comprehensive
statewide inland lake management programs.
2.
Assist Michigan
agricultural producers to improve their management of fertilizer and manure
nutrients to help prevent degradation of groundwater and surface water
quality. Examples of past projects include:
o
Provide educational
opportunities to farmers in Calhoun, Branch and Eaton counties, conducting
Farm*A*Syst evaluations and collecting and managing GPS data for water
quality decisions.
o
Provide partial
financial support for enhancing and refining the MSU Nutrient Management
Computer Program.
3.
Encourage protection
of community groundwater supplies by providing wellhead protection training
opportunities to local community leaders in collaboration with the MDEQ
Wellhead Protection Program.
4.
Protect water quality
through improved onsite and decentralized wastewater treatment by developing
and offering training opportunities to practitioners in the wastewater field (sanitarians,
contractors, engineers, and other consultants) as well as government
officials, planners, developers, realtors and homeowners.
5.
Promote surface water
and groundwater quality protection among Michigan citizens. Examples of past
projects include:
o
Promote groundwater
protection by incorporating Home*A*Syst into Northwest Michigan's Waterwatch
Program with an emphasis on conducting teacher training workshops, assisting
with classroom implementation of activities and conducting home assessments.
o
Empower residents of
Michigan's Upper Peninsula to make informed decision and take effective
action regarding crucial local water quality issues by planning and
co-sponsoring a two day conference, WaterFest '98: An Upper Peninsula
Water Forum
6.
Improve citizen
access to water quality information and expertise via field agents and
specialists, through the development of a web-based water quality resource
and offering water quality training opportunities to agents and specialists.
7.
Establish strong ties
with other groups working on water quality issues.
o Promote inter-organizational and inter-agency networking and collaboration and encourage linkages between urban and rural groundwater protection programs through the co-sponsorship (with MDA, MDEQ and GEM) of an annual, statewide groundwater protection conference, Networking to Protect Drinking Water.
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