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The Great Lakes Regional Water Program (GLRWP) is a partnership among the Land-Grant universities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program (NIWQP). The overarching goal of the GLRWP is to maintain and protect natural environmental systems for agriculture, human health, recreation, and economic benefit through regional leadership and coordination of research, higher education, and extension/outreach efforts within Great Lakes and North Central Region states. <P>We will work with participating universities and our partners to prioritize and implement multi-state water resource initiatives that build on local, state, and national expertise; build capacity among participating universities and our partners to achieve water resource impacts; and facilitate agency and community access to Land-Grant university and CSREES resources. <P>Specifically, we will influence and improve knowledge, skills, behavior and other conditions in ways that lead to improved water quality and availability; achieve these changes effectively by leveraging fiscal and knowledge resources, maintain and enhance relationships with other higher educational institutions, water resource agencies, and private sector partners; foster graduate and undergraduate educational opportunities in water resource management; and improve NIWQP responsiveness to meet local needs.<P> In pursuit of these goals and objectives, we will provide leadership and support for several Regional Initiatives (projects) organized by NIWQP national themes and focused on achieving multi-state water resource impacts. Themes the GLRWP will address include: Animal Waste Management, Drinking Water and Human Health, Nutrients and Water Quality, Environmental Restoration, Watershed Management, and Water Policy and Economics. <P>We will maintain a Regional Leadership Team and Regional Liaison to build partnerships with other higher education programs and institutions and increase the access federal, state, and local agencies, private sector professional organizations, and non-profit organizations have to Land Grant and CSREES resources. <P>Within the Land Grants, we will build collaborations with Regional Association Executive Directors (e.g. North Central Cooperative Extension Association) and the 1994 institutions. We will utilize an advisory group of our partners to provide external guidance. We will provide national leadership and training in program evaluation for NIWQP-funded projects. <P>Finally we will communicate our successes using a GLRWP website, Regional Initiative fact sheets, impact reports, and through direct communication with our partners.
Non-Technical Summary: The Great Lakes Regional Water Program (GLRWP) is a partnership among the Land-Grant universities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program (NIWQP). The goal of the GLRWP is to maintain and protect natural environmental systems for agriculture, human health, recreation, and economic benefit through regional leadership and coordination of research, higher education, and extension/outreach efforts within Great Lakes and North Central Region states. We will work with participating universities and our partners to prioritize and implement multi-state water resource initiatives that build on local, state, and national expertise; build capacity among participating universities and our partners to achieve water resource impacts; and facilitate agency and community access to Land-Grant university and CSREES resources. We plan and implement water resources initiatives within six of the eight priority themes establised by CSREES: a.) Animal Waste Management, b.) Drinking Water and Human Health, c.) Environmental Restoration, d.) Nutrients and Water Quality, e.) Watershed Management, and f.) Water Policy and Economics. <P> Approach: In Year 1, the GLRWP will host a planning and priority-setting session that will refine program priorities to be pursued over the next four years. The planning session will focus on the development and operation of theme-based Regional Initiatives. These initiatives were selected in consultation with our university colleagues, state environmental agencies, federal agencies, professional organizations, NGOs, and members of a Regional Program Advisory Group (RPAG). This approach includes: 1. Coordinating, promoting and funding theme-based Regional Initiatives to accomplish program goals and objectives in six priority themes: a.) Animal Waste Management, b.) Drinking Water and Human Health, c.) Environmental Restoration, d.) Nutrients and Water Quality, e.) Watershed Management, and f.) Water Policy and Economics. Initiatives include 1.) Multi-State Coordination of Conservation Professional Training; 2.) Multi-State Enhancement of Working Farm Research and Outreach; 3.) Drainage Management to Reduce Nitrate Loads from Midwestern Agriculture; 4.) Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC); 5.) E. coli Monitoring in Streams; 6.) Great Lakes Regional Freshwater Estuary Initiative; 7.) Collaboration with Tribal Communities and 1994 Land Grant Institutions Related to Wild Rice and Water Resource Issues; 8.) Developing Social Indicators for Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management; 9.) Watershed Capacity Building and Decision Making Tools; 10.) Stormwater Management Tools for Urbanizing Areas; 11.) TMDL Impaired Waters Research and Training for Water Resource Professionals; 12.) Water Availability and Water Transfers; 13.) Capstone Engineering Courses for Water-related Curricula. 2. Maintaining and continuing development of a Regional Water Leadership Team (RWLT). 3. Providing a Regional Liaison to serve as a point person linking the GLRWP and key groups and agencies within the region and report to USDA/CSREES national program staff. 4. Utilizing the expertise of a Regional Program Advisory Group to guide the development and implementation of the GLRWP and its Initiatives. 5. Maintaining and enhancing relationships with other higher educational institutions and programs. 6. Strengthening the capacity of the CSREES National Water Program by continuing to support the development and implementation of a system to describe and report successes and impacts nation-wide. 7. Maintaining a GLRWP website and other outreach materials and networks that foster communication among universities and our partners at local, state, regional, and national levels.