Crenshaw County has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community by The Groundwater Foundation in recognition of its efforts to protect local groundwater supplies. Crenshaw County was designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community for the 2008 program year and is among 139 communities in 34 states and one Canadian province to receive this designation.

Groundwater Guardian is a program of The Groundwater Foundation which encourages local groundwater protection and education activities. Groundwater Guardians form diverse teams of local stakeholders, including citizens, business/agriculture, local government, and educators, that work together to address local groundwater concerns and issues. Groundwater Guardian activities range from water festivals and pharmaceutical take back programs to rain garden installations and wellhead protection activities. Crenshaw County has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian since 2005.

“Groundwater Guardians like Crenshaw County are truly stewards of the resource,” says Groundwater Guardian Director Jennifer Wemhoff. “We say at The Groundwater Foundation that ‘It is because of people that groundwater must be protected, but it is only through the efforts of people that it can be accomplished.’ We are proud to recognize the work of people like the Crenshaw County Groundwater Guardian team for their efforts.”

Crenshaw County will be nationally recognized for its work on behalf of groundwater at the National Groundwater Guardian Designation Celebration, held in conjunction with The Groundwater Foundation’s National Conference. The 2008 conference, “Going Green for Groundwater,” will be held November 18-20, 2008 at the Miracle Springs Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California. This year’s celebration will once again include the official Groundwater Guardian Designation Ceremony, a reception, silent auction, and banquet.

The Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and motivate the public to care about and for groundwater. Since its inception in 1985, the Foundation has developed programs, projects, and publications that have educated youth and adults about the importance of groundwater and ways they can help protect it.

For more information about Groundwater Guardian or The Groundwater Foundation, please call 1-800-858-4844, e-mail guardian@groundwater.org, or visit the Foundation’s website at www.groundwater.org.