Groundwater Guardian Community Designation Criteria

Communities earn Groundwater Guardian designation each year by meeting all the required designation criteria. Within the program, the term “community” is broadly defined. A community can be a city, village, township, county, multi-county area, watershed, air force base, school, or any other area where there are people committed to groundwater protection.

There is no charge to participate in Groundwater Guardian. To be designated, the following criteria must be met:

1. Form a Team
To be eligible for designation, each Groundwater Guardian community must establish a team with at least one representative from each of the following groups:

• Citizens: Interested citizens can offer insight on local priorities and help recruit volunteers and implement activities. Citizens include civic groups, youth groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, after school programs), service organizations, farm groups (4-H, FFA), environmental groups, retirees, parents, church groups, and community clubs.
• Business and/or agriculture: Both business and agriculture should be represented if they have groundwater interests and impacts in the area. Partners from the private sector can assist with community recruitment, promotion, and financial support. These team members can come from small or large employers, local business owners, local farmers, local ranchers, engineering/environmental consultants, farm/agricultural groups, and local media.
• Education: Educators can provide expertise in educating the public and in-kind services, such as educational materials and meeting space. As many activities focus on education, it’s important to include an educator on the team. This group includes elementary, middle, or high school teachers, cooperative extension educators, scientific researchers, school administrators (superintendent, principal, school board), school district representatives, education associations, college or university professors, and retired teachers.
• Local government: Government representatives have experience in planning and working with the public, and can provide feedback about local groundwater concerns to other governing bodies. They can also assist with community recruitment, information gathering, promotion, regulatory compliance, and technical support. These individuals include Mayors, city/town board members, city planners, water department officials, conservation district representatives, and county government officials.

The team is the heart of the Groundwater Guardian program. The team requirements are designed to credibly represent the larger community and bring together the ideas and resources of different sectors of a community.

2. Complete and Submit Required Forms
Communities applying for Groundwater Guardian status must complete and submit the following forms on time:

• Annual Entry Form
• Team List
• Result Oriented Activity Plans
• Annual Report Form

Groundwater Guardian forms serve several purposes. They provide Groundwater Guardian Community teams with a framework and tools to get organized, plan activities, and track progress made. They provide Groundwater Foundation staff with information to prepare Groundwater Guardian Community Profiles, both on-line and in print. And, they provide the Groundwater Guardian Council with information to determine whether a community has earned Groundwater Guardian status.

3. Take Local Action
To earn Groundwater Guardian status, communities must implement at least one Result Oriented Activity (ROA) each year. ROAs generally fall into five categories: public awareness and education, conservation, pollution prevention, public policy, and best management practices. 

Need an activity idea? Search our online activity database by geographic location, search by activity topic/keyword, or read selected profiles as published in The Aquifer.