Ground Water

Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle starts series of DNR classes for Ground Water Awareness week

Secretary Angelle speaks to Breaux Bridge Middle school about where ground water comes from.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle, who serves as chairman of the state Ground Water Resources Commission, on Tuesday kicked off a series of DNR classroom visits to highlight Ground Water Awareness Week in Louisiana.

Angelle visited his hometown to teach a lesson on ground water to an 8th grade science class at Breaux Bridge Junior High School, where he attended middle school.

Gov. Bobby Jindal has proclaimed this week as Ground Water Awareness Week in the state of Louisiana.

The awareness week is being sponsored by the Louisiana Ground Water Resources Commission in conjunction with the National Ground Water Association.

It was the first of a series of scheduled visits by DNR staff to classrooms around the state to educate students on what ground water is and why it is important, and also to draw attention to the issues involved with conserving and protecting ground water.

DNR staffers will also be holding classes in other sites in north and south Louisiana this week, culminating with a presentation Saturday at the Louisiana 4-H Youth Leadership Conference in central Louisiana.

Natural Resources staff have also provided state science teachers with an educational short film on ground water, and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry is helping by offering classroom presentations to teachers on the subject of groundwater throughout the state.

The state Department of Environmental Quality is also highlighting the week at several events this week.

“Louisiana has been blessed with an abundance of ground water, but we must remember that it is not an infinite supply,” Angelle said. “We want the young people of our state to grow up to be good stewards of our natural resources.”