The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center has a focus on water this year.

The nature center is replacing its annual Ecoblitz with the inaugural Water Festival, which will take place Thursday through Saturday.

While the Water Festival will feature many similar events as Ecoblitz, the focus will be on water rather than ecology.

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Director Larry Dolphin said organizers wanted to make the event more family friendly. Nature center leaders also found they did not have the right experts for some Ecoblitz activities.

Dolphin described the Water Festival as a different approach focused on water, cleanup and what people can do to get cleaner, fresher water. The festival will focus on water quality in rivers and streams in Mower County.

“What happens on the land here in Minnesota has an impact to what happens in the river and what happens in the ocean,” Dolphin said.

One goal is to inform the public about ways to stop pollution, which can have adverse effects on towns downstream and harm animals, especially through things like plastic floating down waterways to the oceans and oil that is dumped down storm drains.

The festival will feature many hands-on activities, like pond scooping, canoeing and kayaking. If the inaugural year goes well, organizers hope to do the Water Festival again next year. They promoted the festival during the Fourth of July parade, and they hope for a good turnout. Volunteers and staff are excited to change the program and try something new.

People who would like to volunteer or attend should contact the nature center to register at 507-437-7519. Attendees can earn a reusable steel water bottle if they participate in four different activities, and they can earn the water bottle and a T-shirt if they participate in eight different activities.

More details can be found at www.hormelnaturecenter.org/water-festival.html.

Schedule

Thursday, July 17

Water Festival Kickoff

•1-4 p.m.: Water-themed nature play activities will take place.

•Canoeing

•Pond scooping

•Water survival game. Become a raindrop and travel through the water cycle. Can you stay clean?

•2:30 p.m.: New clean water geocaching challenge. Find the caches and answer questions about water.

•2:30 p.m.: A staff-led water quality testing of Dobbins Creek. Check levels of nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen, E. coli, and turbidity.

•Ann Zimmerman, singer and songwriter will perform a summer senior special from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., a family/children’s concert at 1:30 p.m., and an evening concert at 7 p.m.

Friday, July 18

Clean Water Service Day

•7:30 a.m.: Cedar River Watershed Cleanup. “Leave it cleaner than you found it” as you canoe a stretch of Dobbins Creek.

•8:30 a.m.: No Dumping/Drains to River. Join a team to attach these “reminder” plates to storm drains around Austin.

•8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.: Staff-led water quality testing of Austin’s waterways. Check levels of nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen, E. coli, and turbidity.

•10: a.m. & 2 p.m.: “Everything has to go somewhere.” Educate yourself with a sewage treatment plant tour.

•7 p.m.: “River Rat” Kenny Salwey, a free program at 7 p.m. in the Ruby Rupner Auditorium.

Saturday, July 19

Water Festival Finale

•7-10 a.m.: Fishing at East Side Lake. See what’s biting with volunteers from the Austin Ikes. (Preregistration is required.)

•10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.: Sea Life, Minnesota Aquarium, two free programs open for all ages.

•1-4 p.m., Water-themed nature play activities.

•Dunk Tank Fundraiser (free-will donation)

•Kayaking with Scott Hanna

•Crayfish Hunting in the stream

•Water Survival Game. Try to stay clean as you travel through the water cycle.

•2:30 p.m.: New Clean Water Geocaching Challenge

•2:30 p.m.: Staff-led water quality testing of the pond and Dobbins Creek. Check chemical levels, dissolved oxygen, E. coli, and turbidity.