How land trusts play a starring role in the drama to ensure clean drinking water sources

Clean, drinkable water flowing freely out of a kitchen tap. So many of us take it for granted even though we cannot live without it. But as tragedies in Flint, Michigan, and along the Elk River in West Virginia demonstrate, safe, clean water is not a given. We need to be asking, “How do we ensure clean, plentiful drinking water in America?”

A critical part of the answer is collaboration. Partnerships between NGOs and local governments are cropping up to address water source issues — from water quality in the East to water quantity in the West to a mix of both problems in many places. These partnerships look as different as the regions themselves when it comes to funding and approach, but they all have one thing in common: protection of the lands that supply, store and filter our water.

In this unfolding drama, land trusts may face their biggest challenge — and opportunity — ever. Here are the stories of two model initiatives.