Blue Legacy Award for Municipal Water Suppliers
Read more about previous winners.
Consider nominating yourself or another organization for the 2012 Municipal Blue Legacy Awards. We are currently accepting nomination applications until Feb. 29, 2012. Winners will be invited to attend the 2012 Texas H2O Conference on April 11th in San Antonio, TX for presentation of the award. Download a Nomination Packet
Water Sustains Texas
Texas is a diverse state with unique resources and industries that sustain our economy and our lives. Municipal water use plays a fundamental role in supporting the state’s economy and population, and satisfies a wide range of residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional demands. In order to ensure that Texas is sustainable in the 21st century we will need to rely on the smart management of the state’s water resources. Meeting that challenge will require improvements in the efficiency of water use in the rapidly growing urban areas as well as the rural agricultural areas of the state.
Texas leaders have increasingly recognized that municipal water conservation is an important part of long-term water planning to meet future needs. In recent years, many areas of the state have demonstrated that municipal water conservation planning does produce enormous benefits and is an integral part of water management. Many communities around the state have taken significant strides in ensuring wise water use and have found conservation programs to be a cost effective method of meeting increased water demands while postponing expensive supply or capacity expansion. The water savings that water conservation measures can provide are real, practical, and offer significant untapped potential.
What is the Municipal Blue Legacy Award about?
Municipal water users have been improving efficiency for many years by replacing old technologies and practices with those that permit us to accomplish the same desired goals utilizing lower water demands. In the most successful instances water conservation has essentially become part of the business case for a utility’s long term plan for water supply.
Responsible management of our water resources deserves recognition and that is why the Water Conservation Advisory Council created the Blue Legacy Awards. These awards are a means to showcase municipal water suppliers as effective stewards of water resources. Through the Blue Legacy Awards the Council honors these groups whose practices enhance conservation of water while maintaining or improving profitability.
Recognition is given to water suppliers that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative commitment to the state’s mission of promoting responsible management of water resources as well as conservation of Texas’ water resources.
How does the award benefit municipal water suppliers?
Through the Blue Legacy Award recognition the Council hopes to encourage others to initiate like-minded programs and reinforce a commitment of conservation and stewardship of water resources in Texas. The Council will utilize winners’ success stories to promote municipal efforts in water conservation. Blue Legacy Award recognition also promotes the winners themselves as credible spokespersons. Through these winners, the program will generate positive information about water conservation in municipal settings as well as encourage others in the state to improve their water conservation practices.
Nominations for the Blue Legacy Award for Municipal Suppliers
This award is open to municipalities, wholesale water providers, retail water providers, water supply corporations, water supply districts, and utility districts. Any individual, group, agency, association, council or organization may nominate an entity. Entities may also self nominate themselves for the award. Nominations can be submitted in only one category. Winners are selected by an expert selection committee that represents municipalities, conservation groups, and state agencies. Past nominees are eligible and encouraged to resubmit their nomination form; previous winners may not reapply. The selection committee considers the use of best management practices, innovative technologies, and leadership of the utility.
Blue Legacy Award in Agriculture
Read more about the previous winners.
The next round of nomination applications for the 2012 Blue Legacy Awards in Agriculture will be accepted beginning in August 2012. Awards will be presented in December 2012 in Amarillo, TX.
Water Grows Texas
Texas is a vast land with unique resources and industries that sustain our economy and our lives. From the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley water is the vital natural resource that binds our livelihoods together. In Texas agriculture is an economic engine and the water used for agricultural production brings millions of dollars into the economy every year, creating jobs and income throughout the state.
For decades, the agricultural industry has had a personal relationship with both the land and the water resources of Texas. The industry assumes the responsibility of meeting the needs of future generations while promoting an economically viable agricultural production system. For agricultural producers, water is much more than a tool of the trade.
As individuals and as an industry, agricultural producers, conservation districts and irrigation districts are actively working to protect and conserve water resources because they know that responsible stewardship is a part of good business. It is vital that we conserve water for the future without sacrificing jobs and economic growth today. Conserving water is an investment that benefits all Texans.
What is the Blue Legacy Award in Agriculture about?
Though it often goes unrecognized the agriculture industry is actively conserving and efficiently using water through everyday decisions, investments, and practices. Stewardship of our water resources deserves recognition and that is why the Water Conservation Advisory Council created the Blue Legacy Awards. The awards are a way to showcase agricultural producers as effective caretakers of water resources. Through the Blue Legacy Awards the Council honors these groups whose practices enhance conservation of water while maintaining or improving profitability.
How does the award benefit agricultural producers?
The Water Conservation Advisory Council will utilize winners’ success stories to promote the agricultural industry’s efforts in water conservation. Blue Legacy Award recognition also promotes the winners themselves as credible spokespersons. Through these winners, the program will generate positive information about water conservation in agriculture as well as encourage others in the industry to improve their water conservation practices. This award sends the message that properly managed water resources is a vital component of sustainable agricultural operations.
Nominations for the Blue Legacy Award in Agriculture
Any individual, group, agency, association, council or organization may nominate an individual producer, family operation or partnership operation. Individuals, families, or operations may also nominate themselves. Nominations can be submitted in only one category. Winners are selected by an expert selection committee that represents farmers, ranchers, conservation groups, state agencies, and universities. Past nominees are eligible and encouraged to resubmit their nomination form; previous winners may not reapply. The selection committee considers the use of best management practices, innovative technologies, leadership of the producer, and sustainability of business as a whole.
Other Awards in Water Conservation
2011 EPA Water Sense Excellence Awards
2011 Texas Environmental Excellence Award Winners
- Agriculture – Harlingen Irrigation District, Cameron County #1
- Innovative Operation and Management - San Antonio Water Systems
- Water Conservation – North Texas Municipal Water District
- Gregg A. Cooke Memorial Award – Carole Baker
