Anniversary Story: "Our Groundwater Guardian Story" by Marge Cook

“Our Groundwater Guardian Story”

By Marge Cook, Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardians, CA

“Mission Springs Water District is doubly blessed with two aquifers – a cold water aquifer that provides the award-winning water for our community and a world-renowned hot mineral water aquifer that attracts visitors from around the world to our spas,” says Nancy Wright, Mission Springs Water District Board of Directors President, and founding member of the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardians.

It has been 20 years since Mission Springs Water District, as part of its “Groundwater Protection Plan,” first applied to become a Groundwater Guardian Community . . . and now the community has four Groundwater Guardian Teams.

Desert Hot Springs was first designated a Groundwater Guardian Community in 1995, followed by Mission Springs Water District (a Groundwater Guardian Affiliate) in 1997, Desert Hot Springs High School in 2000 as a Groundwater Guardian Campus, and Desert Springs Middle School as a Groundwater Guardian Campus in 2005.

As part of the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian groundwater awareness education, the community has enjoyed many wonderful Groundwater Guardian moments during the last 20 years. To mention but just a few . . . Bubbling Wells Elementary School 5^th Graders winning the 1^st Palm Springs Unified School District’s DIGICOM (Annual Student and Teacher Film Festival) Award “Healthy Planet, Healthy People” conceived by their Mission Creek Preserve Field Trip visit; dedicating the Desert Hot Springs High School’s ceramic tile water-related wall at the High School and a ceramic tile water-related bench viewed by thousands of visitors annually at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum; and receiving four PSUSD “Shiny Apple” Awards for the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian educational program.

Embraced by the community, the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian Program has been an integral part of a continuing groundwater protection, preservation and conservation message, and Mission Springs Water District and the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardians salute The Groundwater Foundation on its 30^th Anniversary Celebration.

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27 Weeks Until the 2015 Groundwater Foundation National Conference and 30th Anniversary Celebration!

30th Anniversary Story Teller Sponsor
Marshfield Utilities

30th Anniversary Story Teller Supporter
National Ground Water Association