The British Columbia (B.C.) government in Canada has announced plans to begin a new program, “Living Water Smart,” in the 2009-2010 school year. The program is designed to turn students into water stewards by providing them with a basic understanding of stream health and riparian zones.

“Living Water Smart commits all B.C. students to completing a stream health assessment by 2012,” according to a provincial government Web site. “Our plan is for students to complete these assessments with ecologists and other stream health experts as part of the students’ school-based education.”

Tools, such as stream health checklists, will be used. The B.C. government plans to incorporate student- and community-gathered information about water into local planning and decision making.

Because British Columbians are stewards of a large portion of the world’s fresh water supply, the provincial government will establish a youth water-science prize or scholarship for excellence in water stewardship to help encourage future water scientists, planners, and decision makers. The government also plans to provide summer jobs for 16- to 22-year-olds interested in taking part in some 20 stream restoration projects.