Ogallala Commons brings together Texas water experts
Water and wetland experts from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas Tech University (TTU) and other organizations drew more than 200 people from seven states to the small town of Nazareth, Texas, February 7 for the Ogallala Commons' 15th Annual Southern Plains Conference. During the conference, "Water: Preserving Our Common Wealth," participants learned about the hydrology of the Ogallala Aquifer, playa lakes and the statewide groundwater planning process, and also discussed the political, economic, and environmental implications of Ogallala Aquifer use.
"For 15,000 years, human beings have traveled through the Southern Plains and found reliable water," said Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Coordinator. "Though these water resources have been made more scarce by contemporary situations, they can still flourish today, if cared for and properly stewarded." The Ogallala Commons is a collaborative network that encourages self-sustaining economies and communities of the High Plains Region that overlies the Ogallala Aquifer, and serves as a forum for regional resource issues such as water conservation.
Speakers included Bill Johnson, wetland and waterfowl biologist for TPWD and PLJV monitoring and evaluation team member, who presented information on playa lakes and their connection to groundwater recharge. Also Dr. Ken Rainwater, director of the Water Resources Center at TTU, who gave an overview of groundwater issues in the Texas High Plains.
More than 200 participants - most from the Texas Panhandle but also many from surrounding Ogallala Aquifer states - filled the Home Mercantile Building in Nazareth, a town of only 350 residents, to hear the speakers and network with each other. The Ogallala Commons is planning to hold a conference on energy use in the High Plains soon; contact Darryl Birkenfeld for more information.
Colorado focus area developing strategic plan
The newly revitalized Southeast Colorado Focus Area Committee (SCFAC) is moving full speed ahead and has prepared a draft strategic plan that will guide the committee's development over the coming years. The SCFAC is a grass roots coalition of resource managers, conservation professionals and landowners who are dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat in the PLJV portion of Colorado. The SCFAC met February 26 to discuss the draft plan and further develop the committee's mission, vision and major objectives.
"We agreed that the main focus of the committee is to be a forum for all entities to come together, share information, bring in partners and get projects off the ground," said Tammy VerCauteren, committee coordinator from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. The committee is doing just that, and has several playa projects in the works. This spring, the SCFAC will be conducting workshops on economic diversification and playa conservation using Farm Bill programs. For more information, email Vercauteren or call (970) 482-1707.
Playa Post ©2003 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.
Water and wetland experts from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas Tech University (TTU) and other organizations drew more than 200 people from seven states to the small town of Nazareth, Texas, February 7 for the Ogallala Commons' 15th Annual Southern Plains Conference. During the conference, "Water: Preserving Our Common Wealth," participants learned about the hydrology of the Ogallala Aquifer, playa lakes and the statewide groundwater planning process, and also discussed the political, economic, and environmental implications of Ogallala Aquifer use.
"For 15,000 years, human beings have traveled through the Southern Plains and found reliable water," said Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Coordinator. "Though these water resources have been made more scarce by contemporary situations, they can still flourish today, if cared for and properly stewarded." The Ogallala Commons is a collaborative network that encourages self-sustaining economies and communities of the High Plains Region that overlies the Ogallala Aquifer, and serves as a forum for regional resource issues such as water conservation.
Speakers included Bill Johnson, wetland and waterfowl biologist for TPWD and PLJV monitoring and evaluation team member, who presented information on playa lakes and their connection to groundwater recharge. Also Dr. Ken Rainwater, director of the Water Resources Center at TTU, who gave an overview of groundwater issues in the Texas High Plains.
More than 200 participants - most from the Texas Panhandle but also many from surrounding Ogallala Aquifer states - filled the Home Mercantile Building in Nazareth, a town of only 350 residents, to hear the speakers and network with each other. The Ogallala Commons is planning to hold a conference on energy use in the High Plains soon; contact Darryl Birkenfeld for more information.
Colorado focus area developing strategic plan
The newly revitalized Southeast Colorado Focus Area Committee (SCFAC) is moving full speed ahead and has prepared a draft strategic plan that will guide the committee's development over the coming years. The SCFAC is a grass roots coalition of resource managers, conservation professionals and landowners who are dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat in the PLJV portion of Colorado. The SCFAC met February 26 to discuss the draft plan and further develop the committee's mission, vision and major objectives.
"We agreed that the main focus of the committee is to be a forum for all entities to come together, share information, bring in partners and get projects off the ground," said Tammy VerCauteren, committee coordinator from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. The committee is doing just that, and has several playa projects in the works. This spring, the SCFAC will be conducting workshops on economic diversification and playa conservation using Farm Bill programs. For more information, email Vercauteren or call (970) 482-1707.
Playa Post ©2003 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.
ADM settlement benefits Kansas McPherson Wetlands
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and Ducks Unlimited (DU) will use a $200,000 contribution from Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) to help complete final restoration of McPherson Valley Wetlands in central Kansas. The contribution was part of a settlement between ADM and the State of Kansas and the Environmental Protection Agency for alleged Clean Air Act violations. The contribution, which was made to DU last month, will be used with other funding sources as match for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant, the fifth NAWCA grant to be submitted for the McPherson project.
The KDWP began restoration of the McPherson wetlands in 1987. With this latest NAWCA proposal which will be submitted this week, KDWP and partners plan to restore hydrology on wetland acres previously acquired through past NAWCA grants and purchase an additional 300 to 1,000 acres to add to the 4,010-acre site. McPherson Valley is located in central Kansas, close to other larger wetlands of Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The complex is an important stopover habitat for migratory and wetland-dependent birds.
"Within this major stopover, the more habitat we can provide, the better," said Randy Clark, KDWP Regional Public Land Supervisor who is working on the McPherson project. "The area around McPherson receives slightly higher precipitation than at Cheyenne and Quivira, which are farther west. So when those wetlands may be dry, wildlife will have someplace to go," Clark said.
Don't forget playas during Groundwater Awareness Week
March 14 - 20 is National Groundwater Awareness Week, and the PLJV is encouraging educators and resource managers within the Joint Venture region to include information on playa lakes when conducting classroom water units or festivals. Playas are the primary source of recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer, yet are often overlooked in educational and resource management literature. For a list of available playa informational materials, check out the PLJV's Educator Resource Guide.
New Mexico to host Lesser Prairie-Chicken festival
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and the Grasslans Charitable Foundation are co-sponsoring the 3rd Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken festival April 2 - 4 in Milnesand, New Mexico. The event features workshops on archeology and native plants, wildlife tracking, prairie dog and playa lake ecology as well as bird watching and wildlife photography. Participants will visit Lesser Prairie-Chicken leks for a first-hand look at the courtship rituals of these rare, native birds of the plains. Attendance is limited to the first 100 people. To register, contact NMDGF at (505) 476-8000 or 476-8034.
The KDWP began restoration of the McPherson wetlands in 1987. With this latest NAWCA proposal which will be submitted this week, KDWP and partners plan to restore hydrology on wetland acres previously acquired through past NAWCA grants and purchase an additional 300 to 1,000 acres to add to the 4,010-acre site. McPherson Valley is located in central Kansas, close to other larger wetlands of Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The complex is an important stopover habitat for migratory and wetland-dependent birds.
"Within this major stopover, the more habitat we can provide, the better," said Randy Clark, KDWP Regional Public Land Supervisor who is working on the McPherson project. "The area around McPherson receives slightly higher precipitation than at Cheyenne and Quivira, which are farther west. So when those wetlands may be dry, wildlife will have someplace to go," Clark said.
Don't forget playas during Groundwater Awareness Week
March 14 - 20 is National Groundwater Awareness Week, and the PLJV is encouraging educators and resource managers within the Joint Venture region to include information on playa lakes when conducting classroom water units or festivals. Playas are the primary source of recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer, yet are often overlooked in educational and resource management literature. For a list of available playa informational materials, check out the PLJV's Educator Resource Guide.
New Mexico to host Lesser Prairie-Chicken festival
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and the Grasslans Charitable Foundation are co-sponsoring the 3rd Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken festival April 2 - 4 in Milnesand, New Mexico. The event features workshops on archeology and native plants, wildlife tracking, prairie dog and playa lake ecology as well as bird watching and wildlife photography. Participants will visit Lesser Prairie-Chicken leks for a first-hand look at the courtship rituals of these rare, native birds of the plains. Attendance is limited to the first 100 people. To register, contact NMDGF at (505) 476-8000 or 476-8034.