Water and Drought
Water Conservation and Water Quality
The leading cause of stream pollution is storm water runoff. To follow the federal and state guidelines, Barrow County has adopted a Storm Water Management Program to implement Best Management Practices which were designed to help relieve the impacts of storm water runoff. In 2005 Barrow County Cooperative Extension began a partnership with Keeping Barrow Beautiful and the Barrow County Storm Water Department to help implement the public education phase of the county's Best Management Practices. In 2006 Barrow County Extension strengthened this partnership and collaborated with other organizations to help reinforce public education. During the school year, the 4-H staff conducted a presentation on water conservation and water treatment for all 700 5th grade 4-H members. Extension worked with the Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation District to sponsor a Water Wise Poster contest to encourage kids to learn what effects the quality of surface waters, with 137 4-H'ers submitting posters. For six weeks during the summer, 4-H formed a Stream Team to work with Barrow County Storm Water Department to visit new subdivisions to stencil storm drains and hang educational door hangers. Over the course of the six weeks, 57 kids and 12 adults visited 12 subdivisions, providing educational material for the households and stenciling 78 storm drains. Ten 4-H members participated in a Barrow County 4-H-sponsored summer day class at Amicalola Falls learning about stream hydrology and stream side management zones. Over the past year, 4-H members collected more than 200 pounds of litter carelessly thrown from car windows. (2006)
Source
| Name | Department | |
| Brit West | bwest@uga.edu | Barrow County Extension agent |