GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES NATIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT


                                            Release No. 0047.98

                                    Tom Amontree (202) 720-4623
                                             tamontree@usda.gov
                                     Diana Morse (202) 720-4772
                                           diana.morse@usda.gov


GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES NATIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT CENTER IN               ARKANSAS

  LONOKE, Ark., Jan. 30, 1998--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that the
Department of Agriculture will open a National Water Management Center at the University of Arkansas at Pine
Bluff Lonoke Farm, to help private landowners, local and state governments solve water resource problems.
  
  "This is part of our ongoing effort to help farmers and ranchers manage their water successfully while
protecting water quality," Glickman said.

  The center will provide information to field conservationists and landowners on nutrient and pest
management plans, animal manure management systems, and other conservation systems to protect water quality.

  Another major responsibility of the staff at the center will be to help landowners in the high rainfall parts
of the U.S. plan and implement irrigation, water removal, and surface storage systems.

  This national center will be operated by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and
will be linked through NRCS to other centers with expertise in climate and water supply forecasting, soils, natural
resource inventory and analysis, and information technology.

  Conservation information developed by these centers is provided to landowners by NRCS and
conservation districts.

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