Imperial has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community by The Groundwater Foundation in recognition of its efforts to protect local groundwater supplies.
     Imperial was designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community for the 2007 program year and is among 139 communities in 34 states and one Canadian province to receive this designation.
     Groundwater Guardian is a program of The Groundwater Foundation which encourages citizen involvement in groundwater education and protection at the local level. Groundwater Guardians form diverse teams of citizens, business/agriculture, local government and educators and work together to implement activities that address the groundwater concerns and issues of the community, ranging from youth water festivals to household hazardous waste pickups to wellhead protection ordinances.
     Imperial has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian since 1995.
     Imperial will be nationally recognized for its work on behalf of groundwater at the National Groundwater Guardian Designation Celebration, held in conjunction with The Groundwater Foundation's National Conference.
     The 2007 conference, "Groundwater Protection: Bridging the Gap Between What is Known and What is Practiced," will be held Nov. 28-30 at the Denver Sheraton West Hotel in Lakewood, Colo. This year's celebration will include the official Groundwater Guardian Designation Ceremony, a reception, silent auction and banquet.
     The Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and motivate the public to care about and for groundwater. Since it began in 1985, the Foundation has developed programs, projects and publications that have educated youth and adults about the importance of groundwater and ways they can help protect it.