A Lifetime With Water

I am not sure how I got so connected to water - it seems like something I was born with...I would call it a gift.  I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated by how diverse and life giving water can be.  As a boy, I grew up within walking distance of the Flint River in Georgia.  I spent many a summer day fishing, swimming and camping along the river.  I would come home so muddy, my mom would strip me down behind the bushes and hose me off before letting me into the house.  Even as a college student, I could not make up my mind as to what aspect of water I wanted to pursue.  I got a degree in civil engineering, but decided that was 'too rigid', and then earned a masters degree in land use and environmental planning.  As a father to two incredible daughters, we spent many days paddling the Peace River, watching wildlife, fishing and looking for sharks teeth. I still love to fish the coastal areas and lakes, and camp along the rivers. For me, a full appreciation for water comes from a spiritual approach, which I let guide many decisions.  It is this special place...a place where the environmental, recreational, beautiful and spiritual worlds come together...that water finds us.  And, it is in this place that points us to a new approach for managing water...an approach that realizes all that water can do in our lives.