Sparta Front Page
Sparta hire to educate community
Laura Bond, Reporter
09-20-2009
Residents of north Louisiana have one more paid advocate working to keep our precious water source from running out.During a meeting at Lincoln Parish Library on Thursday, Sparta Ground Water Commission members approved the hire of Lindsay Gouedy as a Sparta educator/administrative assistant. Gouedy served as the Sparta Commission’s intern during the summer before she graduated from Louisiana Tech University.
The former Miss Teen Dixie Gem spent the summer promoting awareness about the declining water levels in the underground Sparta Aquifer, which is the primary source of drinking water for 14 parishes including Lincoln. The water levels have been in decline for decades — resulting in lowered water quality — because of overuse by residents and industries.
As Sparta educator, Gouedy will work closely with newly-hired Sparta Commission Director Bill Branch to raise awareness of the problems associated with the Sparta Aquifer and help facilitate solutions to reverse the aquifer’s water level decline. Branch and Gouedy will share an office at Tech’s Reese Hall.
As a full-time employee, Gouedy’s new salary is $2,500 per month with travel expenses paid up to $500. Gouedy is on a six-month renewable contract that begins effective Oct. 1.
Her hire comes on the heels of the commission’s securing of Branch, who came on board Sept. 1. The retired LSU AgCenter water resource specialist was hired on a six-month contract to work 20 hours per week for a total salary of $2,000 per month including travel expenses. Branch lives in Baton Rouge and spends a few days each week at the Tech office. Branch said one of his initial goals is to help the Sparta Commission create its own user-friendly Web site with e-mail addresses for members.
The Sparta Commission represents 10 parishes that utilize the Sparta as a source of water. It was established in 1999 by the Louisiana legislature to study ways to reverse the Sparta’s declining water levels.
Sparta Commissioner Alice Stewart said the group was strictly volunteer before Branch and Gouedy were hired.
“Most of the commissioners have full-time jobs,” Stewart said. “We’ve had nobody to implement anything we have wanted to do in keeping with our mission,” Stewart said. Sparta Commission treasurer Dennis Woodward said Branch’s and Gouedy’s salaries will be paid out of the commission’s funds, which currently total about $72,000. Woodward said the commission is funded through donations by the parishes, municipalities and industries that tap into the Sparta Aquifer as a source of water.
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