Water Jamboree

Students at the Water Jamboree gain hands on knowledge which leads them to a greater understanding of the importance of water in our lives.

Lake: Harlan County Lake, NE

Partners: USACE; University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension; K-State Research and Extension; Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District; Lower Republican Natural Resource District; Tri-Basin Natural Resource District; Natural Resources Conservation Service

Partnership Type: Cooperating Association

Corps POC: Jim Brown, Natural Resource Specialist, Harlan County Lake

Story: The Water Jamboree is an educational fun day for fifth and sixth grade students from schools located in the Tri-Basin Natural Resources District, Lower Republican Natural Resources District including the counties of Phelps, Gosper, Harlan, Franklin, Kearney and Furnas, and north central Kansas including the cities of Phillipsburg and Kensington Kansas. Students attending are involved in interdisciplinary water activities relating to aquatic life, recreational uses, water quality, non-point source pollution, irrigation, historical aspects of water, plants and water and how water quality affects wildlife. This Water Jamboree highlights concepts similar to the Children's Groundwater Festival in Grand Island, NE each year and makes this type of learning experience available to more students in our area.

This activity is a cooperative effort provided by the Tri-Basin NRD, Lower Republican NRD, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Water Jamboree is held on two days with schools attending the day of their choice. Every year the event is held on the third Wednesday and Thursday of April. The location of this Water Jamboree will be at the South Central 4-H Center at Harlan County Lake and utilizes sites and facilities operated by the Corps of Engineers at Harlan County Lake.

2003 was the eleventh year for the Water Jamboree. It has been a very popular event with the students, teachers and other volunteers over the years. Over 600 students and 170 adult volunteers attend the Jamboree annually.

URL: http://www.tribasinnrd.org/waterjamboree.html