The University of Idaho Sustainability Center and the Graduate and Professional Student Association sponsored the first ever Water Summit put on by UI students Monday. Although this was the first Water Summit hosted by UI, Moscow has hosted the event in years past.
The Water Summit highlighted research on the ecological impacts of water consumption.
Jonathan Treasure, GPSA sustainability chair said the Water Summit was put on to provide UI students and the community with awareness about water resources surrounding communities.
Treasure presented at the Water Summit.
“It’s important that the student body knows where their water comes from and what effects it has in the years to come,” Treasure said. “We play a huge role because students make up more than 50 percent of the population on the Palouse.”
Treasure said this year the Palouse is about 10 inches below the average amount of precipitation for this time of the year.
“It’s helpful for students at the university to be more educated about the water resources,” said Barbara Cosens, a College of Law professor and member of the Water Resources department.
Cosens also presented at the Water Summit.
“We live in an area with very scarce water resources,” she said.
Others who presented at the Water Summit were Steve Robinson, Brian Kennedy and John Tracy.
During the event, UI Campus Dining presented the efforts they’re taking to increase the priority of water sustainability..
GPSA also awarded Theta Chi with $200 for the Greek Water Award — an award given to a sorority or fraternity that conserved the most water.
Iris Alatorre can be reached at [email protected]