What You Can Do
Become involved in your Grand Lake watershed; know what's happening. Become knowledgeable concerning policies and events that impact our watershed. Help make sure there are future plans and priorities in place that will offer protection to our watershed and will achieve water quality improvement. Become a part of the Grand Lake O' The Cherokees Watershed Alliance Foundation Inc.
Our Foundation is a citizen-based organization whose only goal is to speak as a single voice on behalf of water quality throughout the 12,298 square mile watershed. The sheer size and complexity of the watershed make it cumbersome. However, it's well demonstrated that successful watershed improvement programs have active citizens. The success of the water quality improvement in Chesapeake Bay is directly traceable to an energized citizens-based movement that not only is active but also continues to insure that private and governmental leaders are committed to improving their Bay.
Using the same model, we intend to preserve and improve the water quality in the entire Grand Lake watershed. This goal can only be met with all stakeholders working together for the water. There are many and varied stakeholders in the watershed: private citizens, small businesses, tribal governments, local governments, recreational interests, developers, agricultural enterprises and others of every scale.
Our watershed competes for scarce improvement resources with watersheds across the country. But many other watersheds are outpacing us because they long have had active and effective citizen-based organizations that cause improvements to happen. Now our watershed actively seeks to gain the necessary priority of effort and the financial resources needed to improve our water quality. Grand Lake watershed stakeholders have a vested interest to protect and to improve water quality. Our watershed needs a much stronger voice to represent its waters.
Currently there is no existing watershed improvement plan. Yet your watershed is facing pressures from pollution stemming from wastewater treatment facilities; from storm water runoff; from issues related to population growth; and from other sources. We believe that along with growth and development comes the responsibility to provide good stewardship and protection of your water-you can help insure that happens.
What can you do? Join our Foundation and participate in your watershed. Also contact your local citizen-based water quality organization and join their efforts. Please check the Watershed Organizations section at our Home Page to review the list of local citizen-based organizations that are either formed or are in the process of organizing in the Grand Lake watershed.
Remember: It's ALL about the Water!
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