A Message from Our Leader: Protecting our Water Resources

World Water Day: Raising Awareness for a Global Crisis

The Water Bubble is About to Burst

Big Leaks, Salty Water, and Tough Fixes

Upcoming Conferences

• National Water Quality Monitoring Council 14th Conference
• Illinois Lakes Management Association Annual Conference
• Western Aquatic Plant Management Society 43rd Annual Conference
• Indiana Lakes Management Society Annual Conference
• Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Annual Conference
• Michigan Lakes & Streams Association 64th Annual Conference

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Rain Barrels Stave off Water Shortage

Nurturing Young Minds

Environmental Degradation and Social Collapse

Year-End Charitable Contributions

Truth Behind Killing Mute Swans

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Energy Star Savings for your Home 

Raising your thermostat by only 2 degrees and using a ceiling fan on low can lower cooling costs by up to 15%.  Change out incandescent light bulbs with EPA’s Energy Star qualified lighting; not only does it use less energy, but it produces about 75% less heat.

Increase your Gas Mileage

Reduce your idling time, obey the speed limit, avoid hard accelerations, and unload unnecessary items from trunk will all help to increase your fuel economy.

Prevent Skin Cancer and be Sun Wise

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US.  Practice safe sun habits.

Heading to the Beach?  Check the Water

Check out your specific beach advisory and closing notifications.

Smartphone Apps

Get location-specific current air quality information and an hourly forecast of UV radiation levels

Protect yourself with Insect Repellents

Mosquitoes and ticks carry diseases, but the right repellent can protect you free their bites.

Water Wisely

As much as 30% of outdoor water is wasted due to evaporation by watering in the middle of the day.  Instead, water in the morning when the winds are calm and temperatures are cool.

Clean Greener

If you’re going to wash the car, deck, boat, RV, or grill – be sure to look for the Design for the Environment (DfE) label to identify products that are safer for families and help protect the environment.

Improve your Indoor Air

While inside this summer, make sure to free your house of mold, test for radon, check your carbon monoxide detector and ask smokers to go outside.

Check into an Energy Star Hotel

An Energy Star certified hotel use an average of 35% less energy and emit an average of 35% less greenhouse gas emissions than non-certified hotels.

Waste Less and Recycle More

Americans generate millions of tons of waste in homes and communities.  Recycled items such as glass can be used in roadway asphalt and recovered plastic can be used in carpeting and park benches.

Season Firewood

Split firewood to the proper size; stack so that air can circulate around it; cover the top to protect is from rain; and store your firewood for at least 6 months before using it.

Looking for a Summer Project?  Try Composting

Fun and educational, composting saves landfill space, helps feed the soil and prevents methane.

Water is such an invaluable resource and the issues surrounding it’s use, conservation, and quality are immense.  In 2001 the focus was : Water for Health – Taking Charge, 2004 focused on: Water and Disasters, 2010 was Water Quality.  This years objective is: Water and Food Security.

Water is the key to food security.  People with better access to water tend to have lower levels of undernourishment.  Drought is the most common cause of severe food shortages and has caused more deaths during the last century than any other natural disaster.

The logic behind that is quite simple; it takes water to produce food.  All the food from crop and livestock product, inland fisheries, forest products, requires water.  No water – no food.  Think about this, it takes about 1500 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of wheat, but it takes more than 15,000 to produce 1 kilogram of beef.  That doesn’t include the water used for processing the meat, milk, and other dairy products; nor does it account of the water needed to produce feed for the cattle.

To keep pace with the growing demand for food, it is estimated that 14% more freshwater will be needed for agricultural purposes in the next thirty years.  With growing concerns regarding water scarcity is that even possible?  Questions raised as the focus of this years World Water Day give us hope that by better using and protecting the water resources, following a healthier, more sustainable diet, reducing food waste, and rethinking water usage; we can produce more, better quality food with less water.

World Water Day 2012