PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

The South Grand River Watershed Alliance (www.southgrandwatershed.com) gave a presentation at the monthly meeting of the Cass County Central Democrats in Harrisonville onThursday March 23, 2006.

Attendees learned how the Alliance originated and its mission toeducate the community about the value of protecting and restoringthe waters of the South Grand River watershed.

Nearly all of Cass County as well as portions of eight other counties in Missouri and two in Kansas lie within the South Grand River watershed. The area it encompasses is a little over 2,000 squaremiles.

Increased urbanization in many parts of this watershed is having asignificant impact on the quality and quantity of its waters. However,by the incorporation of features such as rain gardens, narrowerstreets with grassy swales and leaving stream buffers of grasses andtrees within developments, much of the impact could be significantly reduced. The use of native plants (with their long root systems that filter and channel water into the ground) and trees in home landscaping and the “green” areas of developments as well as alongstream buffers is highly encouraged.

These and other issues regarding our water resource were presentedat the meeting, and illustrated through the use of maps and displays.A variety of brochures were available to give information about raingardens, the use of native plants, Missouri Stream Teams, and otheractions to take to protect water quality.