California water, the Delta, Lake Tahoe, the Klamath River, the
Salton Sea, and drinking water issues are some of the places and
water issues featured in public television documentaries
developed by the Water Education Foundation in partnership with
independent television producers. Three of the documentaries have
received regional Emmys; the 2005 program Water on the Edge
received a bronze Telly award.
The Foundation also has produced a series of educational programs
on groundwater, water conservation, water recycling and more.
These 15- to 20-minute videos and/or DVDs are designed for
agencies to use for employee training or for presentations and
community group meetings, and serve as a valuable resource for
students, professors and other researchers.
In the West, it is not a matter of if a drought will occur, but
when. In an effort to develop a drought-proof water supply, many
communities are turning to water recycling. Water recycling is
reusing treated wastewater for irrigating golf courses, other
urban landscapes, some crops, wetlands enhancement, industrial
processes and even groundwater recharge. But many people do not
understand how water is treated, recycled and reused, causing
some to oppose new projects.
With an average annual rainfall of only 9 inches, water
conservation in Nevada is essential not only in drought years,
but every year. This 17-minute video features interviews with key
policy-makers who explain how important it is to develop a
conservation ethic for this desert state.
This 15-minute video explains in an easy-to-understand manner the
importance of groundwater, defines technical terms, describes
sources of groundwater contamination and outlines steps
communities can take to protect underground aquifers. Includes
extensive computer graphics that illustrate these groundwater
concepts. The short running times makes it ideal for
presentations and community group meetings. Available on VHS and
DVD.
This 11-minute video simplifies the often-misunderstood concept
of conjunctive use – coordinating surface water and groundwater
supplies, which are often managed as separate resources. It
explains in an easy-to-understand manner the relationship between
groundwater and surface water, outlines different forms of
conjunctive use, and identifies issues of concern that must be
resolved for each project. Includes extensive computer graphics
that illustrate these concepts.
This 30-minute DVD explains the importance of developing a source
water assessment program (SWAP) for tribal lands and by profiling
three tribes that have created SWAPs. Funded by a grant from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the video complements the
Foundation’s 109-page workbook, Protecting Drinking Water: A
Workbook for Tribes, which includes a step-by-step work plan for
Tribes interested in developing a protection plan for their
drinking water.
