WATER ISSUES COMMITTEE
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 6960

Dear District 6960 Rotarians:

Every recent Rotary International president has named clean water as one of the organization's top service priorities. To learn more about RI water activities, visit President Bill Boyd's resource group page. Among District 6960's many distinctions is its leadership in RI water issues and programs. Please read how your club can participate.

1. World Water Day
2. Water Issues Committee
3. Caloosa Fest
4. Central Asia Village Water Supply Project
5. Club Programs On Water Issues:
   International Water Issues
   Local Water Issues

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2007-08 Water Resouce Group

John C. Capece was selected as District 6960 Water Resource Group Coordinator.

WORLD WATER DAY

March 22 is World Water Day. RI President Bill Boyd encourages Rotary Clubs to include water topic programs in their meetings during the week of March 19-23. If you need help developing a program for this week, simply send your request to Capece at rotary6960water.org and we will help you with arrangements. A list of potential program topics is provided at the end of this message.

WATER ISSUES COMMITTEE

Each club president is asked to recruit one or more enthusiastic volunteers to serve on the District 6960 Water Issues Committee. This committee will assist with both local and international water service projects, club programs on water topics, and club/district water related events planning. Current members are listed at the end of this message. The committee will have a limited number of meetings and will communicate primarily by email. Members can sign up here or by sending an email to Capece at rotary6960water.org.

CALOOSA FEST

On March 8, 2008 (next year) the district will hold a special event called Caloosa Fest, the Rotary clean water music festival for southwest Florida. The event will require considerable advance planning by a subcommittee of the water issues committee. Much has already been accomplished, as shown at www.CaloosaFest.org. Committee members are needed to assist with a variety of planning and logistics.

CENTRAL ASIA VILLAGE WATER SUPPLY PROJECT

The Rotary International web site is featuring the District 6960 project in Central Asia as its feature this month promoting World Water Day. The project will also be featured in the April edition of The Rotarian magazine.

The current projects in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be completed by June 2007. A progress report can be downloaded at home page of current web-site. A new matching grant project will be submitted this March in advance of the March 31 deadline. Clubs seeking to donate to this project are encouraged to take action ASAP. Contact John Capece at Villages at rotary6960water.org. for details.

CLUB PROGRAMS ON WATER ISSUES

The District 6960 Water Issues Committee is offering to provide you with a water topics speaker for the week of World Water Day or any other date. Potential topics include:

International Water Issues:

1. Nigerian Water Wells Project
2. Central Asia Village Water Supply Project
3. How to start an international waters service project
4. Global Warming and Sea Level Rise

Local Water Issues:

1. Lake Okeechobee
2. Red Tide
3. Manatees
4. Caloosahatchee River
5. Caloosa Fest event planning
6. Everglades Restoration
7. Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program (homeowner water solutions)
8. Water Resources Development Act (Congressional legislation for Florida)
9. Farm Bill (Congressional legislation affecting agricultural water quality)
10. SFWMD programs, C43-reservoir
11. DEP redesignation of Florida waterways
12. UF-IFAS programs, Water Farming
13. FGCU programs, marine science
14. Babcock urban development water issues
15. Manchester Waterway flow and water quality problems, Port Charlotte
16. LaBelle Nature Park and Hendry County Environmental Education Center
17. Other local water issues and projects in your community

Source: District 6960 communication: ROTARY-GdG-Club Presidents and ALL AG's, dated January 29, 2007