Class Spotlight - Water Genius Instructor Doug Bennett
This spring, some lucky ICL members became “water geniuses.” The Water Genius class was offered for the first time this semester and proved to be extremely popular. The course, taught by Doug Bennett at the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD), covered a different topic each week and culminated with a field trip to the Sand Hollow Groundwater Treatment Plant and Quail Creek Diversion Dam. The class was filled to capacity for the entire 9-week course, but Doug was not surprised by its popularity. He points to surveys showing that the two issues of greatest importance to Washington County residents are housing and water, so people have a thirst (pun intended) for knowledge about water conservation. In Water Genius, students learned about the complexities of managing water, from the law to actual water use practices, and the many competing interests surrounding water use. They also walked away with the information necessary to make good decisions about how to manage water wisely, in and outside their homes.
Doug Bennett
The Water Genius program seeks to create a community of informed citizens who understand where their water comes from, how it is managed, and how personal and collective choices affect the region’s water future. Topics included environmental issues, infrastructure, community water demands, household water use and conservation, and water reuse and purification. When asked which topic was the most popular, Doug said ICL members were "highly engaged and excited about every topic," noting people didn’t even take a bathroom break during the 90-minute sessions and often lingered afterward to discuss that day’s topic among themselves. Doug first became interested in water conservation as a Horticulturist at New Mexico State University in the 1980s. He became interested in what was then the new concept of xeriscape (optimizing water use, utilizing the right plants and irrigation) and how good practices can reduce the water footprint of landscaping. After serving as an Assistant Professor at NMSU, he accepted a position for the City of Albuquerque to run outdoor water conservation programs. In 2000, Doug left his home state of New Mexico to work for the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas. He retired from the Water Authority after 23 years to oversee the Washington County Water Conservancy District’s conservation program. Doug said he was drawn to the job because, “St. George is at a juncture in its growth where there’s lots of work to be done with assessment and creating programs to affect change.” Doug’s entire career has been public-service oriented, and he enjoys helping the community to navigate water challenges. Doug’s values have guided both his career and personal choices. For example, when he and his wife Elizabeth moved to Utah in 2023, they chose to live in Ivins, not only because it is a small and engaging community, but also because it is the most water efficient community of its scale in the entire state. Doug even limits his shopping to stores with the smallest water footprint and once withdrew all his money from a bank that displayed an ostentatious water feature in the middle of a severe drought. He points out that his water conservation work with the WCWCD is important, not only for existing residents of Washington County, but also to protect the interests of generations to come. He emphasizes, “If we make bad decisions now, it has severe economic, health, and cultural consequences for the future. We are obligated to get it right.” On April 9th, about 30 members of the Water Genius class attended a field trip to get a behind the scenes look at the Quail Creek Diversion Dam, just outside of Virgin, Utah. The attendees were among only a small number of residents to have visited this secure facility. The dam on the river allows the water to be diverted into a 66-inch diversion pipe that travels 12 miles to Quail Creek Reservoir, which is how water is moved from the Virgin River into our water supply system.
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ICL Lifelong Learning
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