A Tale of Two Watersheds

Imagine a community that had such foresight as to purchase two entire watersheds so as to have control over the destiny of its water supply.  Imagine now that such decisions were made more than three-quarters of a century before there were serious concerns about water quality or quantity.

If you are with me, you are seeing my adopted home town of the past 21 years -- Greenville, SC.

A Vision for the Future
In 1890 Greenville built a small reservoir on the side of Paris Mountain just north of the City, to supply its-then 8600 residents with water.  A second reservoir was added just nine years later.  But, the breakthrough came in the 1920's when the system's water commissioners had the vision to purchase an entire watershed -- the first wholly-owned public drinking water reservoir/watershed in the nation.  A second reservoir and watershed were added in the 1950s.

Today, Greenville's Water System fully owns 26,000 acres -- protecting two entire watersheds that supply much of the water for nearly 400,000 users.  Greenville is known for having some of the cleanest, sweetest, freshest mountain water in the world!

What were the ingredients that led to Greenville's early success?  Clearly visionary leaders committed to intergenerational thinking. 

A Modern Saga
As Paul Harvey said, "Now, the rest of the story."  In 1985 to meeting growing needs, the system accessed Lake Keowee -- a large mountain reservoir developed by Duke Energy for power production.  While most Greenvillians think that 100% of their water comes from protected forest watersheds that are not only unmanaged but also restricted to all public access, the truth is different.  Only 50% of the water comes from system-owned watersheds.  The remaining one-half -- and growing -- comes from Lake Keowee...a lake with few restrictions on recreational use, home building, and rapid development occurring throughout the watershed.

So, what we have is not the tale of two cities; rather, the tale of two visions and watersheds.  One where the past was assured and a future where the quality and quantity of water is left to chance unless the Greenville Water System and others adopt a forward thinking strategy to ensure that Lake Keowee doesn't become a highly-developed and polluted body of water.

Pay me now or pay me Later
Looking ahead, two things stand out when thinking about trying to change a system that has been in place for decades.  First, we've all been able to obtain clean, safe, potable water in near unlimited quantities at far below its real societal value.  Obviously, we can't expect people to "increase assessments on themselves" in such an anti-tax environment.  But, is that true?

A couple of things give great hope that we can indeed turn the corner toward a brighter future.  First, we draw encouragement from the literally hundreds of local land conservation ballot initiatives that are being adopted across the nation -- in red states as well as blue.  In well over three-quarters of those cases, citizens say on one hand "don't raise taxes/cut public spending," but then they vote for local assessments.

It is the "local" that is perhaps the key.  Most people are skeptical about sending money to the state capital, much less the federal one.  Yet, we remain highly concerned and committed to our own back yards.

Secondly, let's look at consumer spending habits.  While a gallon of some of the best tasting water in the nation goes for about 2.5 cents per gallon when purchased from the Greenville Water System, consumers in Greenville and elsewhere show little restraint in paying significantly more for an inferior product.

For instance, the average consumer will pay between $1.39 and $1.89 for a liter of off-brand water at the average grocer.  Pay tax on that bottle and convert to full gallon price an it is equal to $6.10 -- or almost 250X what the best tap water costs.

But, let's not forget places like Chicago O'Hare Airport.  There water comes at a bit of a premium.  We tested and found it approaches $23.00 per gallon!  Nearly 1000X tap cost!

Final Thoughts
Thus, if we look at "bright spots" across the nation -- places that are working to protect their drinking water, one must ask what we can do to extend those bright spots to more communities to ensure a brighter future for water, watersheds, and Americans everywhere?

We know that there are many different tools and mechanisms that could help, but in the Endowment's approach to its mission, we believe that systemic, transformative and sustainable changes are necessary.

So, together, we hope that we can extend and greatly increase progress of linking every American to their source of water ... and that by so doing we can advance the health of watersheds across the nation.  While our core interest is in the one-third of the nation that is forested, these same ends hold in all watersheds whether they be covered by range or rocks.

Using Dan and Chip Health's "bright spots" approach from their best seller, Switch, if we can connect people with the water in their "backyard," and if we can do so in ways that show real value and gains locally, we can make a difference.

We and our co-sponsors have asked you to help us think more deeply about actions that we, you, and others can take together to advance the cause of water and its broad benefits to society.  While we don't want to get into the science and politics of climate change, we know that humans can adapt to a hotter planet.  It may be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but we can/will adapt.  But, there are some base needs like water that cut across differences of race, color, creed, or economic status.

We all need clean, safe water.  It is at its best when it is locally available and secure.

Let us end with one of the most often quoted statements from anthropologist Margaret Mead.  "A small group of thoughtful people can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Our hope is that this small group, and this time and place, will be the start of one of those important times of change for our world...starting right at home.

This blog is excerpted from opening remarks provided by Endowment President Carlton Owen as he addressed a convening on "Healthy Watersheds through Healthy Forests" in Chicago, April 13-14, 2011.  The convening was sponsored by the Endowment along with the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation; Kelley Family Foundation; Knoblock Family Foundation; American Forest Foundation; Sand County Foundation Bradley Fund; and the USDA Forest Service.