Louisiana's three aquifers. The Sparta Aquifer is losing more water than can be replenished. (Illustration by Betsy Neely)

Claiborne Parish sixth graders learn about water conservation at the annual Water Fest, hosted by the LSU AgCenter each year at Lake Claiborne State Park. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)

North Central Region extension agents set up exhibits on water conservation at fairs, festivals and other educational events throughout the region.

“Reduce the use.” That’s the mantra of a water conservation campaign spearheaded by LSU AgCenter educators in north Louisiana, where people are dependent on the gradually disappearing Sparta Aquifer.

This aquifer, which is an underground layer of gravel and porous stone that holds water replenished through rain, is losing 12 million gallons per day that aren’t being replaced. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, current use from the aquifer is 64 million gallons per day while the break-even usage is 52 million gallons per day. And this is where the drinking water for 15 North Louisiana parishes comes from.

“We take water for granted, and we can’t continue to do that,” said Robin Bridges, AgCenter agent in Claiborne Parish. “It’s like a bank account. If you take more out than you put in, then eventually you’ll run out.”

To help stem the aquifer depletion, LSU AgCenter extension agents have mounted a major campaign to encourage water conservation. This campaign has involved many different types of educational programs over the years, including an initiative aimed at all the sixth graders in Claiborne Parish.

In 2003, Bridges decided a good way to reach a lot of people in his parish with water conservation information was through the children – specifically sixth graders.
 
"That's the age when children begin to question the world," Bridges said. "They're naturally curious about science and math, even though they might not realize it."

Every year in May for two days, the Claiborne Parish schools provide bus service for about 200 sixth graders to the Lake Claiborne State Park, where Bridges has set up six stations, each with a different water conservation educational message. He calls the event Water Fest and involves educators from the AgCenter and other state and federal agencies to teach the children about water conservation and water quality.

For example, Todd Sewell of Natural Resources Conservation Service, a regular at Water Fest,  tells the group the average family uses 200 gallons of water a day and then breaks the students into two teams that have to fill a 95-gallon container a bucket at a time, relay style.

"This activity helps drive home how much water is consumed," Bridges said.
 
Bill Owens, a microbiologist at the LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station in Homer, La., has the children collect water from the lake and compare that with water from the tap by examining water samples through a microscope.

"The science education they get during Water Fest helps prepare them for the LEAP test they'll take in eighth grade," Bridges said. The LEAP test is an achievement test that all students must pass in Louisiana to qualify to be promoted to the ninth grade.

“I tell the children it's their future we're talking about,” Bridges said. “What each of us does will make a cleaner world. Share what you learn with others.”

Follow the water-saving tips taught to the school children in north Louisiana. Take the survey. See how much water you use and can save!

Getting Noticed

The heroic efforts of the LSU AgCenter to help preserve the Sparta Aquifer have not gone unnoticed:

–“We commend the LSU AgCenter for realizing the importance of saving the primary source of fresh water in north Louisiana. We urge other governmental groups to follow the AgCenter’s lead and not wait until the Sparta sands are dry. By then, it will be too late. We must act now to save the Sparta Aquifer.” – Ruston Daily Leader editorial

–The Claiborne Parish Water Fest was awarded a commendation from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources in 2005.

The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.