By Rick Leonard, University of Nebraska Water Center, Lincoln, NE; Susan S. Seacrest, The Groundwater Foundation, Lincoln, NE; and Bob Kuzelka, Asst. Dir., UNL Water Center, Lincoln, NE

The Groundwater Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates the public about the nature and value of groundwater. In this capacity, the Groundwater Foundation has worked with a wide variety of institutions and organizations in enhancing the public's understanding of groundwater science and technology associated with groundwater use. As an organization with a deep commitment to the protection and stewardship of this critical resource, we are naturally interested in the ongoing investigation of the water resource implications of global climate change.

Since 1985, one of the Foundation's major partners has been the University of Nebraska Water Center. Assistant Water Center Director, Bob Kuzelka, has served as consultant to several Groundwater Foundation programs including its fall symposium series and community education and recognition program, Groundwater Guardian. Most recently the Groundwater Foundation and University of Nebraska Water Center have formed a partnership as co-leads for the education and outreach components of the Water Resources Sector Assessment Team (SAT) of the National Assessment.

One of the goals of the water resources assessment is to involve and inform stakeholders and others interested in water resource issues with the process and findings of the national assessment as it addresses climate change realities and opportunities. The Groundwater Foundation has faced a large communication challenge in helping people understand and appreciate groundwater, which, much like climate, is largely taken for granted. The Foundation has addressed this issue by developing a community-based program, Groundwater Guardian, which provides a consistent framework and process for community teams to use in educating citizens about the importance of the issue. The Foundation's network of Groundwater Guardian communities and contacts with public and private water management agencies across the nation will help the Foundation disseminate the products and information developed through the national assessment process.

The Foundation's contributions to the Water Resources SAT include:

• compilation of a bibliography of research literature pertaining to the relationships between climate change and groundwater resources;
• a survey of water resource organizations across the nation to learn the extent to which climate change has been a focus of their educational, research, and outreach activities; and
• a survey of attendees at the National Groundwater Guardian Conference in Anaheim, California last November to elicit their perceptions of the public's awareness and concern for potential climate change impacts to water resources in their communities.

The results of both surveys suggest climate change has not yet achieved a level of credibility and urgency to be an issue of immediate concern.

As part of our outreach efforts, National Assessment information is being incorporated into Groundwater Foundation publications and programs. Our quarterly publication, "The Aquifer" will include a regular column on the progress of the National Assessment and highlight specific climate-related research findings. Three papers have also been submitted to the American Water Resources Association's Specialty Conference on Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change to Water Resources of the United States (Atlanta, May 10 - 12) which will feature the works of contributing researchers of the Water Resources SAT. Two of the papers will focus on public perception and outreach, incorporating both our own survey results and previous research findings of how the public understands climate change. The third paper synthesizes research conclusions about the implications of climate change for groundwater resources.

The prospect of global climate change presents significant new planning and management challenges for communities, resource managers, and water-resources organizations. The Groundwater Foundation is fortunate to have this key vantage point in the study of climate change, and we look forward to working with SAT partners to help shape an environmentally and economically viable response.

For more information, contact:

Robert D. Kuzelka, Associate Professor; 103 Natural Resources Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844; Phone: 402-472-7527; FAX: 402-472-3574; email: rkuzelka1.unl.edu.