Water is precious and sacred... it is one of the basic elements needed for all life to exist.
All species have a universal right to clean, untreated water. It is vitally important to protect all remaining sources of pure water and strive to return all tainted waters to their natural condition. Individuals and groups need to become empowered and take action to protect both their own water sources and water quality in general.

To help meet this need, www.watertalk.org provides webpage and website storage for individuals and groups who require a forum to communicate with others about protecting water quality.

The Watertalk website also contains News, Forum and Reports sections which describe how industrial activity, contaminants and toxins are damaging most water systems across Canada, and around the planet. This damage to water poses immediate and a long-term threats to the global ecosystem and its countless lifeforms, of which humanity is only one. Treatment of water, especially with additives, provides, at best, only a short-term "fix" which will sooner or later add to long-term problems.

The www.watertalk.org website is a non-profit volunteer project focusing on protecting clean, untreated water and restoring tainted water to pristine condition. At the present time, participation in the project comes from organizations and individuals located in the Kootenay region of south-eastern British Columbia in Canada.

For the past two years watertalk.org has served both as a location for the storage of websites relating to water protection issues and as a source for water protection information. Since mid-1999 a small volunteer working group of four individuals has managed the website:

Scott Frederick of Perry Ridge Water Users in the Slocan Valley has been particularly active in promoting the website during the year 2000. In addition to being a mainstay of the SVWA webpages, he recently expanded the Watertalk Links page and posted a review of the book Secrets and Lies to the Reports section.

Stephen Lones of New Denver, B.C. has continued to work on technical support and site structure, and posted the Kootenay Landslide Reports authored by Craig Pettitt of B.C. Forest Watch. He also maintains the Waterwalk website for Eloise Charet.

Richard Allin of Hills and Stan Rowe of New Denver have been available as consultants over the past year and a half. Their combined experience has been of great value in maintaining the credibility of the website.

The idea for the project originated in the Slocan Valley, located in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. A first draft of a concept and mission statement for the project was prepared in November, 1998 by Stephen Lones and Eloise Charet and was reviewed by Stan Rowe.

Initial startup funding was provided in large part by the Valhalla Wilderness Society of New Denver, B.C. in December 1998. In March 1999, an attractive opening page was created as a donation by webpage designer Dave Good (www.homefyre.com). The opening page text and buttons were later modified by the Watertalk working group.

Several individuals also contributed to startup costs and provided financial support during the first year of operation. The Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance provided operating capital for the website during the year 2000, and the Erickson Water Action Group has recently made a helpful financial contribution as well.

The Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance (S.V.W.A.) represents many watershed groups in the Slocan Valley, located in the West Kootenay region of south-eastern British Columbia. Several member watershed groups have built webpages and are training members in Internet skills. S.V.W.A. brings with it over twenty years of experience in researching and lobbying for the protection of clean drinking water.

The Erickson Water Action Group (W.A.G.) is struggling to prevent enforced chlorination of the Erickson water supply in southeastern British Columbia. Their website contains relevant information describing the perils of using chlorine to 'purify' water meant for human consumption or agricultural use.

The Waterwalk pages describe Eloise Dolly Charet's efforts to raise Canadian consciousness about the desperate state of water in our country. On November 1, 2000 Eloise began a Fast for Life in front of the courthouse in Nelson, B.C. to draw attention to the immediate need for water protection in Canada. Her fast ended in early February, 2001. Another section of her website, the Cross Canada Waterwalk 1998 archives, tell the story of the difficult, but eye-opening, trek for water awareness led by Eloise Charet across Canada from Victoria, B.C. to Ottawa, Ontario from May to October 1998. The far-reaching crisis in water quality which the Waterwalkers discovered as they slowly proceeded across the country helped inspire the Watertalk project.

The West Arm Watershed Alliance (W.A.W.A.) has recently added a small amount of material relating to watersheds along the west arm of Kootenay Lake. This material is currently being posted and maintained by Scott Frederick of S.V.W.A.

Website storage is available on watertalk.org for water-related groups and organizations whose purposes are compatible with the intent of the Watertalk project.

The suggested annual donation for storage has been $100 for organizations which can afford it. In a case of need, where it is essential for a group to get information out to the public, the donation may be deferred, lowered, or even waived.

It would be helpful if one or more members of each organization can provide some input into the overall creation and maintenance of the watertalk.org website. In this way, The Water Circle can reflect the collective energy of all its participants.

Become part of the Water Circle by storing your water related webpage or website on www.watertalk.org

Become a content provider ...  send information about your local watershed or water supply, or regional information, which can be included in the News or the Reports section of the site.

Make a statement of opinion or of commentary which can be included in the Forum section.

Offer financial assistance to support the continuance and expansion of the Watertalk project. Tax deductible receipts are not available at this time, but support is much appreciated.