Regeneration 2012

Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District (PGCD) participated in Regeneration 2012 at Thompson Park in Amarillo on Saturday, April 21, 2012. The event was sponsored by Xcel Energy and Amarillo National Bank, and was one event among many held throughout the city to celebrate Earth Day.   

PGCD helped people take the Water Warrior Pledge which is to commit to five tasks of water conservation such as adjusting your sprinklers so they do not water the sidewalks and streets which can save up to 500 gallons of water per month or repairing leaky faucets which can save up to 150 gallons of water per month. PGCD Public Relations Coordinator Joy Shadid was also there in her Alice and Waterland costume showing kids the life size model of the aquifer.

City of Amarillo's Assistant Manager for Finance Dean Frigo helped Mayor Paul Harpole take the Water Warrior Pledge at the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District booth at the Regeneration 2012 in Amarillo. Photo taken by Sonja Gross.

Volunteers singed up to help plant 250 new trees at Thompson Park, and the city had a tent to promote its water conservation program Every Drop Counts.

Success for Texas Panhandle Water Symposium

The first Inaugural Texas Panhandle Water Conservation Symposium was an unmitigated success, with over 300 attendees and 19 speakers from across the United States. This symposium was the vision of C.E. Williams, general manager of Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District (PGCD). He wanted to focus on water conservation for all users including municipal, agricultural producers and the general public by inviting speakers from across the State of Texas, as well as throughout the United States. There were presentations on conservation principles, programs that had been implemented and their effects. With the guidance of Carole Baker from the Texas Water Foundation and Alliance for Water Efficiency, and many sponsors from across the Texas Panhandle the symposium was made possible, and Williams stated, “It may very well be the highlight of my career.”

The morning session focused on the current drought and statewide issues including conservation myths, drought forecasts and how the drought affected the state. After lunch, the attendees split up into three breakout sessions that focused on municipal, agricultural and private water use.  Municipal users heard presentations regarding municipal conservation as it relates to water rates, and how to track water use.  Attendees in the agricultural breakout session learned about irrigation timing, crop rotation, drought tolerant corn hybrids and irrigation demonstrations showing how to grow 200 bushels of corn on 12 inches of applied irrigation. Private users were treated to presentations detailing rainwater harvesting, xeriscape gardening and conservation education.

Farmer Matt Moore from Wheeler County listens during the Texas Panhandle Water Symposium. Picture taken by High Plains Water Conservation District.

One highlight of the symposium was the presentation of the first Robert Duncan Crown of Texas Water Conservation Award to Senator Robert Duncan for his tireless dedication to water conservation on behalf of future generations of Texans. PGCD anticipates that the symposium will be held every other year and this award can continue to be granted to other distinguished advocates of water conservation.

PGCD would again like to thank all of the sponsors for making this symposium a success, and participating in bringing water conservation awareness to all aspects of the Texas Panhandle.

PGCD Presents Inaugural Water Conservation Symposium

The Texas Water Foundation and Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District are proud to present the  first Texas Panhandle Water Conservation Symposium: The Dollars and $ense of Water Conservation to be held at the Amarillo Civic Center on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

                 

The symposium has been made possible by a multitude of sponsors and will  feature a distinguished list of speakers, including Kel Seliger, Texas State Senator; Four Price, Texas State Representative; Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist; Dr. Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator of the Texas Water Development Board; Carole Baker; Chair of the Alliance for Water Efficiency; and L’Oreal Stepney, Deputy Director Office of Water with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  As the Keynote Speaker, Jim Parks, Executive Director of the North Texas Municipal Water District, will cover the challenges of implementing a conservation program in an urban environment.

Breakout sessions in the afternoon will focus on residential, agricultural, and municipal conservation.  Topics will include rainwater harvesting and xeriscape gardening, limited irrigation farming practices, and planning cost-effective efficiency programs.

Tickets are $35 each and lunch will be included.  Register online at the Texas Water Foundation: http://www.texaswater.org.  For more information, please call the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District at 806-883-2501.

The Dog Days Are Over

Cecilia Stewart and Katherine Gray educate at the Center City Block Party

While the Texas Panhandle was breaking drought and heat records this summer, the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District was busy increasing public relations and education efforts. 

Classes taught in conjunction with the Carson County Square House Museum jumpstarted the outreach program.  Sandy Poteet worked water conservation and the Ogallala Aquifer into her curriculum and she and Joy Shadid spent three weeks covering Groom, Panhandle and White Deer.  The classes worked on mixed media art collages, sand painting, weaving, clay models and creating water conservation commercials.

The White Deer Kickback Days provided another opportunity to reach our District constituents.  Drew Hodges spearheaded the effort to create and operate a booth with interactive games where a water conservation tip won the chance to play and win prizes.  Additionally, Drew coordinated and hosted the wildly successful watermelon eating contest.

In August, PGCD partnered with the City of Amarillo and hosted a booth at Kidsfest 2011 where several thousand kids went through the stages of the water cycle from precipitation to the infiltration of a life-sized aquifer to indoor and outdoor water use.  At the end of the cycle, volunteers handed out coloring books and applied Water Warrior temporary tattoos.  An estimated 15,000 people attended Kidsfest.

Rounding out the summer, PGCD distributed information at the Pampa Boomtown Block Party and Center City Block Party and delivered over 4,000 lawn gauges with low-water plant guides to local greenhouses and hardware stores.  With the heat behind us, PGCD is gearing up for the 8^th year of our elementary education program.  This year we expect to reach over 2,500 5^th grade students with our new presentation, The Adventures of Alice in Waterland and the Water Warrior.

A huge thank you goes to Katherine Gray, Cecilia Stewart and Erik Wilkinson along with numerous volunteers from the City of Amarillo who put in countless hours in sweltering heat to help us educate the public.