Water Awareness Week includes Festival

The Idaho Falls Water Awareness Week Committee extends an invitation to you to join us on Thursday May 11th, at the Tautphaus Park hockey shelter and at the Gem State Powerplant south of Idaho Falls for Water Festival. This marks the tenth year for Water Festival in Idaho Falls. An expected 680 6th grade students from District 91 and 93 schools, as well as private schools will attend the Festival on May 11th, during either the morning or afternoon sessions. Water Festival celebrations include display of the 125 entries received for the 2006 Water Festival Poetry Contest, May 3rd - 10th at the Idaho Falls Public Library teen room. The Water Festival morning session, starting at 9:20 am for students from one District 91 school that will attend the "Hydro-Habitat tour" at the Gem State Powerplant south of Idaho Falls, and 9:40 am at the Tautphaus Park Hockey Shelter for students from four other District 91 schools. You will observe "organized mayhem" as the students in classroom-sized groups participate in short activities that teach about the importance of water. All the morning classes will conclude their time at Water Festival with a local artist, Lynn Howard who will make presentations for winners of the third annual Water Festival Poetry Contest at 11:20 am. The afternoon session, 12:40- 2:00 pm, will be attended by students from District 93 Rocky Mountain Middle school, and two private schools will participate in activities at Tautphaus Park hockey shelter, concluding again with Lyn Howard presenting the poetry contest winners from afternoon-session schools at 2:00 pm. Water Festival activities are sponsored by local state and federal environmental and educational professionals, including the city of Idaho Falls water, sewer, power departments and Tautphaus Park Zoo, the US Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, National Weather Service, Idaho Departments of Environmental Quality, Water Resources, and Fish & Game, Water District 1, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, District 7 Health, private companies, SM Stoller and Energy Labs. For more information about this event contact Flint Hall at 208 528-2612 or Flint.Hall@deq.idaho.gov