Upper Trinity Watershed Partners works to build capacity in groups and individuals across the Upper Trinity River Basin (North Central Texas area), with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of efforts to protect and preserve water and other critical natural resources.
VISION: To have all citizens in the Upper Trinity River Basin understand water as a critical natural and economic resource, and to be knowledgeable about water supply, water quality, and other watershed issues so that they can make informed decisions about its use.
GOAL: To establish a collaborative partnership among water stakeholders to educate all citizens living in the Upper Trinity River Basin about the importance of water to the economy and ecology of the basin, and to promote the protection, wise use, and conservation of this vital natural resource.
Summary of Objectives:
OBJECTIVE: Organize a network of water stakeholders that are involved in water/watershed education to accomplish the goal by fostering, communication, cooperation, coordination, and sharing of effective water/watershed educational programs, materials, and strategies. High Priority
OBJECTIVE: Create a leadership team (steering committee) that is given the responsibility to provide oversight of the water partnership and working with other members of the partnership to seek and secure funds via leverage of partners resources with Federal, State, municipal, private and foundation funding sources to achieve the vision, goals, and objectives of the water partnership.
OBJECTIVE: Coordinate at the Upper Trinity River Basin level a minimum of four (4) annual strategic education initiatives. (Strategic Initiatives may include areas such as March is Texas SmartScape Month, Urban Water Cycle, Clean and Healthy Waters, etc.) High Priority – Schedule for Spring 2006
OBJECTIVE: Establish baseline data of citizen knowledge and concerns about water and water issues. Conduct a statistically accurate (95% level of reliability) survey of citizens in the Upper Trinity watershed in cooperation with the University of North Texas. The baseline data may be used to target educational initiatives and to measure effectiveness of adopted programs. High Priority- Complete by early 2006
OBJECTIVE: Develop and promote programs, educational materials, and other initiatives that are designed to reduce water consumption by 1 % from the previous year, in the Upper Trinity River Basin area. High Priority
OBJECTIVE: Develop an electronic (web based) resource center that will be available as a vehicle to communicate and share data with other water partnership members and the general public. Water partnership members will develop and maintain this web site in cooperation with the North Central Texas Council of Governments. (Initiate before the end of 2005)
OBJECTIVE: Support the development of the “Waters to the Sea” – Trinity River CD to educate citizens, especially elementary and junior high age students, about the history, hydrology, ecology, and water quality, of the Trinity River, and to implement its use in public and private schools in the partnership area. High Priority
OBJECTIVE: Work with the Texas Farm Bureau and other agricultural groups to identify special education projects that will improve water quality in the rural portions of the Upper Trinity River Basin.
OBJECTIVE: Support an organized media-based water/watershed education initiative for the Upper Trinity River Basin. Promote public recognition for contributors that make outstanding contributions to watershed protection efforts.
OBJECTIVE: Inventory existing outreach tools and resources that promote watershed partners goals, and objectives. Catalogue tools and resources and develop a method or procedure so that those tools and resources may be used by all watershed partners.
OBJECTIVE: Hold an annual workshop, designed for watershed partners, that will foster coordination, learning, planning, and new technology in water/watershed education approaches.
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