year of clean water

October 2002, deemed “Clean Water Month” by Gov. Keating, will mark the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA is the principal federal law protecting our nation’s waters. Sierra Club will be joining many other government agencies, schools and groups during “The Year of Clean Water (YOCW)”, to commemorate the anniversary of this crucial piece of legislation.

During October, all Sierra Club groups will be participating in monitoring their favorite Oklahoma streams and submitting data to the YOCW website, where a national “snapshot” of our nation’s water quality will be available. Results will be posted on the YOCW website: www.yearofcleanwater.org.

Sierra Club, in partnership with the Clean Water Network, is also asking members throughout the state to work with their city or town to take a public stand for clean water by adopting a Clean Water Proclamation. If you are interested in working with your city council on our City Clean Water Proclamation Campaign, ideas for city council proclamation actions and a sample proclamation are available.

If you are interested in participating in Sierra Club’s YOCW efforts, contact Jeannine Hale (918/227-2790 or Jeannine.Hale@att.net) or Susie Shields (sshields@cox.net or 405/297-0179.)

Blue Thumb, the water quality program offered by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, is offering several workshops throughout the state to educate citizens on pollution prevention and stream monitoring. For more information, contact Cheryl Cheadle: (918) 280-1598 or cherylc@okcc.state.ok.us.