Growing Water Smart is a joint project between the Lincoln Institute and the Sonoran Institute featuring workshops that introduce communities to the full range of collaboration, communication, public engagement, planning, and policy implementation tools to realize their watershed health and community resiliency goals. Through Growing Water Smart, communities learn to better integrate land use and water planning.
Watch the Growing Water Smart video to learn more about the program and participant experiences.
Workshop Format
The workshop takes community teams, ideally made up of five to seven individuals, through structured sessions with goal-oriented collaborative action planning. Growing Water Smart offers an opportunity to learn from peers and experts about the challenges and opportunities of achieving a secure water future. Participating teams spend much of their time defining their water resilience goals and a path to attain them. Teams develop action plans on behalf of their communities and commit to post-workshop activities to advance those action plans.
State-Specific Resources
A unique curriculum is designed for each state that hosts Growing Water Smart. This includes a Community Self-Assessment and Workbook that are tailored to the legislative requirements of that state and features local examples of land and water integration. We currently have these resources for Arizona, California, and Colorado.
Recognition
At the 2019 American Planning Association (APA) Colorado Chapter Conference held in Snowmass Village, Colorado, the Growing Water Smart program was awarded the 2019 APA Colorado Honor Award in the category of Sustainability and Environmental Planning.
Join Us
Participation in Growing Water Smart is by application on a biannual basis. Selection criteria is based upon:
- Diverse team composition including board members and senior staff from the town and/or county, such as:
- Water utility and water resource managers;
- Land use planners;
- Regional planning organizations;
- Consultants employed by the town or county; and
- Developers.
- The team must include at least one current elected official.
- Whether the components of the project are cohesive with the stated goal.
The workshop is offered at no cost for community teams selected and teams can apply for further technical assistance after the workshop's conclusion. Overnight accommodations and most meals are provided, however travel to and from the workshop is not covered for in-person workshops. Growing Water Smart continues with virtual workshops during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For more information about upcoming workshops and the application process please contact Faith Sternlieb at fsternlieb@lincolninst.edu or 602-393-4310 or visit growingwatersmart.org.
The Babbitt Center is committed to assisting communities in the Colorado River Basin secure their water future. Are you? If you are a funder, working to ensure your community’s health, vibrancy, and resiliency, we’d love to work directly with you. Please contact Paula Randolph at prandolph@lincolninst.edu or 602-393-4313.
