Rapid drawdown of the High Plains-Ogallala Aquifer is a major problem for the 21st century. Earlier this month, Ogallala Commons launched Stewarding Our Aquifer (SOA) Initiative, in hopes of bringing together thousands of people to address this issue in new ways. The SOA Initiative will use social media tools: Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, blogs, and Do-It-Yourself newsletters—to conduct a 3-year campaign to motivate actions towards preserving rather than exhausting our commonwealth of water.
“The SOA Initiative will engage citizens living across the entire Ogallala region (which includes parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, South Dakota, and most of Nebraska) with a focus on disseminating education and highlighting practical actions that can be replicated,” notes Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director. We greatly respect the conservation work already being carried out by regional and state groundwater managers, researchers, and practitioners. Our aim will be to complement these efforts…to collaborate on building a clearer understanding that we cannot live without water, and on finding sustainable options that fit with our semi-arid landscapes.”
Funding for the SOA Initiative is generously provided by the CHS Foundation and CoBank. Anyone interested in joining the SOA Initiative can follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. You can also visit the Initiative’s website: www.stewardingouraquifer.com
