DATE: 1/26/05

CONTACT: Cal Sawyer, (864) 656-4072

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241

Clemson plans Watershed Academy for stewards of water resources

CLEMSON – “Everybody lives in a watershed, even if you live where the Ashley and Cooper rivers spill into the Atlantic Ocean,” said Cal Sawyer, water quality coordinator for the Clemson University Extension Service.

“A watershed is merely an area of land that drains to a common outlet, and it could be a parking lot or the entire Edisto River Basin,” he said. “We are all upstream or downstream from somebody, and we should all work toward being good stewards of our valuable water resources.”

That’s why Clemson University is offering a two-day watershed training course March 29-31 at the Madren Conference Center at Clemson.

Called the Watershed Academy, it will offer training in the principles of water quality monitoring, planning and restoration.

Instructors from Clemson University, North Carolina State University, the University of Georgia, Auburn University and the Environmental Protection Agency will teach participants how to apply water quality and watershed management principles to solve complex water resource problems.

Sawyer said that the Watershed Academy is designed for persons who can benefit from a thorough scientific understanding of watershed processes, assessment and techniques for protecting and conserving natural resources. That list includes local government officials, natural resource-based non-profit organizations, private consultants, or anyone involved with aspects of watershed management.

Space is limited to the first 30 registrants, with preference shown for local watershed group representatives. The general registration fee is $295 with a late fee after March 15 of $350. Registration for government and non-profit representatives is $195.

To reserve a space in the workshop, send an e-mail to Andrea Olevano at acolevan@unity.ncsu.edu. Checks should be made payable to NCSU-BAE and mailed to NCSU-BAE, Campus Box 7625, Raleigh, NC 27695.

Previous sessions of the Watershed Academy have been held in Alabama and North Carolina.

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