13 Monitoring Blog Drinking Water Source Protection Area

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One of my primary technical goals of this trip was to better understand the water source areas and collection techniques in the Malingua Yaku area (see Blogs 10 and 11) including source-water protection. In photos 1-4 here the protected area is clearly visible as a heavly vegetated area between the (resistant volcanic) peaks, in an otherwise well-grazed landscape.

Paulino Sacatoro explained that before conservation, a farmer cultivated land and grazed animals near the intakes and drinking water had moderate quality. Photos 6-7 show a similar area. After a fire ~ 10 years ago, the entire area burned and water quality plumetted, with obvious issues in terms of sediment and health effects in Malinguapamba/Tunguiche/Pucara. Everyone in community recognized water quality problems.

The community began a conservation effort including buying out the farmer working that area and working with Pam Gilbert and Centro Educativo La Minga to install another fence, around broader area to creat ~ 50 meters buffer all sides of intakes. Some 10 years after the fire, vegetion is now robust around the intake areas including small trees, thick shrubs, and grass/forb, and water quality is now considered excellent (agua dulce) from these Malingua Yaku sources (see Blog 10). In fact, our Ecuadorian friends are doing a better job here protecting water sources than many parts of Colorado!

This offers an excellent example of water source protection that can be communicated, community to community/neighbor to neighbor, in the general area. For instance, when Paulino and i visited neighbors in Guantugloma, we were able to explain this conservation concept in detail to the Guantugloma Water Committee as part of preparation for our expanding project area (more in blog coming). Note that this fits our Rotary Future Vision of sustainability by working with and enabling communities to help themselves.

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