Groundwater Education, Training, and Technology Transfer

This project will educate Kentucky citizens about groundwater, including the quality of Kentucky's groundwater resource, nonpoint source (NPS) threats to groundwater quality, and management practices that can abate or prevent groundwater contamination. Despite an extensive database and an ongoing data collection program, very little information regarding groundwater quality is readily available to concerned citizens, resource managers, environmental regulators, and legislators. Because of this lack of accessible information, many citizens and businesses are not aware of the importance of groundwater, the quality of groundwater in their neighborhood, the NPS threats to groundwater, or the best management practices (BMPs) that can protect groundwater from NPS contamination. A groundwater educational program is strongly needed. This project will provide a groundwater educational, training, and technology transfer program. We will first update the groundwater quality database from appropriate state agencies and research institutions, and then place the groundwater quality information on interactive Web sites, along with summaries of the natural and anthropogenic sources of NPS contaminants, their potential harmful effects on people and the environment, and a summary of BMPs that can abate or prevent aquifer contamination. We will then conduct workshops to educate state agencies and citizens about the importance and quality of groundwater, demonstrate the uses of the Web-based groundwater quality information, and train them in the use of the interactive groundwater educational materials. This work will be coordinated with the Kentucky Environmental Education Council. Watershed basin management teams, the Interagency Technical Advisory Committee on Groundwater Monitoring, and other technical and user groups will be consulted on the design of the data presentation. Users will be able to down-load data from the Web site so they can perform additional analyses. Other agencies, organizations, or individuals may link their Web sites to the interactive groundwater quality Web site. Links will be established between the views available on the Web site and the groundwaterquality database so that the most recent data are presented on the Web site when KGS receives and checks new groundwater-quality reports. This effort to serve Kentucky groundwater quality data via an interactive Web site has not been an objective of previous or current 319(h) projects. This plan addresses the 11 criteria for NPS projects in the following ways. 1. The plan will contribute to groundwater protection through education and training, and making information readily available. 2. The project covers the entire state; NPS contamination of groundwater is already known. 3. The project follows the NPS guidance that "education activities are an essential part of most nonpoint source projects". 4. The project will provide essential information to help target future work by the Kentucky Watershed Management Framework by showing where NPS chemicals in surface water may be affecting groundwater. 5. The products of this work will demonstrate that the project has been successfully completed. 6. Making groundwater quality information readily accessible is the first step toward identifying pristine and affected areas and designing and implementing NPS pollution controls. 7. The project involves the Kentucky Division of Water and the Environmental Education Council. Training workshops will be publicized and offered to citizens, agencies, and any group interested in groundwater quality. 8. The necessary hardware, software, and expertise are currently available. The University of Kentucky has reduced its indirect rate on federal research funds to make the project more cost-effective. 9. The project includes workshops where the public and state agencies will be shown the interactive mapping capability and trained in it use. We will work with the Kentucky Division of Water, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council, and the University of Kentucky Public Relations Office to ensure that the availability of this information is well-publicized. 10. The milestone schedule allows sufficient time to accomplish this project. 11. We have followed the application instructions.