BLOG: Resolving Water Issues

By Steve Mossman, Groundwater Foundation Board Member

As Secretary of The Groundwater Foundation's board of directors and a lawyer with an active water law practice, I read with great interest a recent article in the Washington Post about the historic heat wave currently ravaging the Middle East.  The article noted the probability of extreme water scarcity caused by saltier groundwater due to rising sea levels.  Importantly, the article noted the role of water scarcity in causing conflicts among human beings including the recent Syrian civil war and refugee crisis. 

Here in the United States, we are blessed with the opportunity to resolve our water issues with legislation, collaboration, negotiation, and if all else fails, litigation.  While all of these processes involve countless meetings and stressful hours, they beat the alternative methods of actual fighting over the most precious natural resource – water – which may continue to be a part of the unfortunate global reality. 

Here at The Groundwater Foundation we are doing our part.  At recent Board Strategic Planning sessions, we reviewed our Mission Statement to “educate people and inspire action to ensure sustainable, clean groundwater for future generations.”  In this mission, we want and, need, those precious community partners to ally with us to avoid the intractable problems that plague other nations over a resource that can’t be seen.  And, we define community broadly to encompass, well, everyone.  Whether you are an elected city official, a business leader or a parent concerned about the health and future or your children, you can join with us. 

To that end, please visit The Groundwater Foundation’s website at www.groundwater.org and learn about our programs including our flagship Groundwater Guardianprogram.  Please join The Groundwater Foundation and help us collaboratively protect our most precious natural resource.

Let’s work together on the important mission of The Groundwater Foundation.  

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Steve Mossman is an attorney with Mattson Rickets law firm in Lincoln, Nebraska specializing in the areas of natural resources and environmental law, solid waste law, water law, and agricultural law. He also serves as Secretary for The Groundwater Foundation's board of directors.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the view of The Groundwater Foundation, its board of directors, or individual members.