Nebraska State Senator Tom Carlson is this year’s recipient of the Maurice Kremer Groundwater Achievement Award from The Groundwater Foundation.
Carlson was presented the award at the joint Nebraska State Irrigation Association and Nebraska Water Resources Association Conference on November 21 in Kearney.
The Kremer Award is presented annually by The Groundwater Foundation to an outstanding Nebraskan who has made a substantive contribution to the conservation and protection of Nebraska’s groundwater. The Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Lincoln, with a mission to educate people and inspire action to ensure sustainable, clean groundwater for future generations.
“Senator Carlson’s work ethic and deep passion for our state’s most important natural resource, groundwater, is reflected in his accomplishments during his tenure as a state senator,” said Groundwater Foundation president Jane Griffin. “Our state has benefited from his deep passion for our natural resources.”
The Kremer Award is chosen annually by a committee appointed by The Groundwater Foundation’s Board of Directors. It is named for Senator Maurice Kremer, who spent 20 years in the Nebraska Legislature where he was best known for his contributions toward protecting the state's water resources.
“During his two terms in the Unicameral, Senator Carlson was a leading proponent and tireless advocate for legislation to improve the sustainability of Nebraska’s water resources,” said selection committee member Don Kraus, general manager of The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District.
Carlson actively sponsored and championed LB 1098, which established the Water Sustainability Fund in 2014 to guarantee a future for Nebraska's stressed water resources. Through his efforts, almost $30 million dollars were accumulated to finance water sustainability research in Nebraska in 2015/2016 and will finance water sustainability research into the future. He also worked on legislation related to the Republican River Sustainability Task Force and the extension of funding for the Riparian Vegetation Management Task Force.
Selection committee member and past Kremer recipient Jim Goeke said, “Tom Carlson gets groundwater in Nebraska! He understands the relationship between groundwater and surface water and appreciates Nebraska's enviable groundwater resources.”
For more information on the Kremer award, visit www.groundwater.org/action/recognition/kremer.html. For more about The Groundwater Foundation visit www.groundwater.org.