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Water Agencies Recognized for Environmental Efforts

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 December 2006, 18:03 CST

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented three water agencies with the water community's most prestigious award for environmental stewardship.

The City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power, the Eastern Municipal Water District, and the East Bay Municipal Utility District were named recipients of the 2006 Theodore Roosevelt Environmental Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Management. The awards were presented December 6 during ACWA's fall conference and exhibition in Anaheim.

Since 1993, ACWA has presented the Theodore Roosevelt Award each year to recognize water agencies for programs that protect natural resources while meeting public needs. Winners are selected in three budget categories.

"The public is not always aware of the commitment ACWA members have to conservation and environmental stewardship," ACWA President Randy Fiorini said. "These three projects are top-notch examples of the lasting environmental legacy water agencies are working every day to build for future generations."

In the first budget category ($100,000 or less), the City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power won for its "Water Efficient Landscapes Project." The department's multi-part water conservation effort included a xeriscape tour program showcasing innovative landscape designs and a series of plant guides to help consumers make choices. It also included a turf buy-back program, SMART irrigation controllers, and distribution of native plant seeds to area nurseries.

The Eastern Municipal Water District captured the award in the second budget category ($100,000 to $1 million) for its California Friendly Landscape Pilot Program, aimed at improving water efficiency in new homes on a regional scale and promoting adoption of "California Friendly" landscape standards.

In the third budget category ($1 million or more), the East Bay Municipal Utility District was honored for its Lower Mokelumne River Partnership Salmon Restoration. EBMUD operates the program under a joint partnership agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that provides sustainable water supplies, hydropower and other natural resources while protecting and enhancing the anadromous fishery, preserving and enhancing the Mokelumne River ecosystem and encouraging stakeholder cooperation.

ACWA is a statewide association whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.

Source: Business Wire

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