Our regional water education program in the Pacific Northwest is based on a logic model (see figure to the right). Our logic model contains a situation statement, desired educational outcomes, and the inputs and outputs needed to achieve these outcomes. This model allows us to design educational programs that have a positive impact on the region’s water resources. Situation We have both water quantity and water quality issues in the Pacific Northwest. From a water quantity standpoint we have both surface and groundwater concerns. In Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington surface water resources are at least 25 percent over-appropriated. From a groundwater viewpoint water tables are significantly dropping in over 30 percent of the region’s aquifers. From a water quality standpoint over 1,500 stream segments in the region do not meet designated beneficial uses. In addition nitrates, pesticides, and/or industrial chemicals are found in more than 50 percent of our aquifers. Outcomes Ultimately our long-term goal is to improve region-wide water quality and water quantity and to increase regional capacity to reach this end. To reach these ideal goals we need to have both short-term and medium-term outcomes. Short term outcomes include: improved consumer knowledge about water issues, changes in public behaviors and practices about water issues, improved awareness of land grant institutions to address water issues, and improved public motivation and awareness about water issues. Our medium term outcomes are: improved cooperation between states, improved partnerships with local, state and regional organizations, citizens voluntarily make wise choices to protect water resources, and to have policy makers enact legislation to enhance the quality and quantity of water resources in the region. Inputs To accomplish our educational goals we use the following inputs: grant funding from USDA, regional coordination, state support, other grant dollar support, and partnerships. We also have an advisory committee, conduct needs assessment surveys, and count on human resources from the five land grant institutions that are part of this regional coordination effort. Our target audience in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington includes agricultural landowners, policy makers, conference/workshop participants, rural, suburban and urban homeowners, private well owners, septic system owners, and agency and NGO partners.

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/ University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Dan Burns: 360-392-4328 dburns@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration, and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	To achieve the above outputs we have developed several ways of delivering our messages through programs including: video-streamed watershed education conferences, regional research and extension conferences, PNW WATER UPDATE newsletters, regional Extension agent training, a regional web site, and needs assessments to prioritize programs. Evaluation We continually evaluate the success of our programs using traditional and non-traditional methods. However, the ultimate evaluation must be improved water quantity and water quality in our region.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	NIFA is the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a sub-agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and is the federal partner in this water quality program.

Download the informational PDF flyer here

HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap NIFA National Water Quality Program This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-51130-04734. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on July 31, 2009