What Nebraska Gave Michigan
by Christine Spitzley, Greater Lansing Area Groundwater Guardian Team, Michigan
I was born and raised in Michigan and am proud to have
attended Michigan State University in East Lansing and my decision to live and
work in the Great Lakes State has been very rewarding. Pure Michigan has the longest coastline in
the lower 48, where the water is salt and shark free. We also have a quiet little secret, aquifers,
which provide almost half of the state’s drinking water. Underestimated, under
looked, and certainly underappreciated, groundwater is vital to our health and
economy.
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| Christine Spitzley poses with the water drop mascot at a water festival in Michigan. |
In 1994, I was four
years into my professional career as the Environmental Programs Planner at the
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC), and the focus of my job was to
provide groundwater education and policy guidance to 78 local units of government
in a three county region. The W.K.
Kellogg Foundation had committed over $35 million to its Groundwater Education
in Michigan (GEM) Program. As a grantee,
TCRPC focused on educating elected officials, but the long term goal was to
expand that to a broader audience so that everyone in mid-Michigan would know,
understand and want to protect its groundwater.
GEM provided money to universities, governments, NGO’s, health
departments, etc. and emphasized the sharing and dissemination of each grantees
successes and challenges. But all good
things come to an end and the mid 1990’s saw the conclusion of the GEM
Program. We had momentum, we had tools,
we had success, and we now needed sustainability.
In 1994, sustainability was generally thought of only in
financial terms. Thanks in large part to
our education efforts, local communities stepped up and replaced the funding we
had been receiving from GEM. But that
was only part of the equation. We had
benefitted greatly from the GEM network and immediately missed the support and
camaraderie of like-minded organizations.
We wanted to continue to share our ideas and to glean information and
lessons learned from others.
A postcard from Nebraska inviting me to a conference in
Washington D.C. to learn about the newly created Groundwater Guardian Program
turned out to be the connection we sought to broaden our network of groundwater
communities. Sitting in a hotel meeting
room, I saw dozens of people who spent their days working to raise awareness and
increase the protection of this valuable resource. People loaded with creativity, passion, and a
commitment to an unseen resource that is frequently misunderstood and
mistreated. Their mission, like mine,
was to help educate people so they cared enough about groundwater to change
their behaviors.
The Greater Lansing Area was first designated as a
Groundwater Guardian Community in 1995.
Our annual application is an opportunity for reflection as we select key
projects for recognition. Through the
years, these have included wellhead protection, public awareness campaigns,
children’s water festival, college curriculum development, and changes to
public policy. The Groundwater Guardian network has also been a valuable source
of information when we seek answers to emerging issues.
The Groundwater Guardian designation provides
acknowledgment for the work we do to protect groundwater. Work that is not a state or federal
mandate. Work our communities are committed
to because it’s the right thing to do.
Work that will gift future generations a legacy of safe water.
_________________________
9 Weeks Until the 2015 Groundwater Foundation National Conference and 30th Anniversary Celebration!
30th Anniversary Story Teller Sponsor
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National Ground Water Association
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