Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming. With thousands of watershed alliances, volunteer monitoring organizations, and other groups active nationwide, federal agencies want to highlight opportunities to join existing efforts wherever possible and to encourage new watershed organizations where there are none. Organizations adopting watersheds can include watershed councils, school groups, civic organizations, garden clubs, Boy and Girl Scout troops, and any other public or private organization interested in helping protect water quality. To support local organizations and citizens in locally based watershed protection efforts, and to encourage the organization of such groups nationwide, EPA, USDA, DOI, NOAA, and other federal agencies will increase information and technical assistance available to these groups. The program has resulted in a large core of citizens educated about environmental issues and involved in watershed projects statewide.
Awards can play an important role in building partnerships for protecting watersheds.
A national watershed award now exists. The CF Industries National Watershed Award recognizes corporate and community excellence in watershed protection. Each year, one corporation and a few communities nationwide are recognized for their outstanding leadership in protecting America's water resources. In 1997, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort took corporate honors for improving Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon watershed, the resort's home and source of much of the Salt Lake Valley's drinking water. Community awards went to Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative in Michigan, Heron Lake Watershed Restoration Association in Minnesota, Columbia-Pacific Resource Conservation and Development Council in Washington, and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Foundation in Louisiana.