Dr. John Leader (l), SC State Archeologist, thanks Dr. Stephen Moysey for his presentation. Clemson professor Stephen Moysey spoke to the Greater Piedmont Chapter of the Explorers Club February 13 about his project in a small village in India. Dr. Moysey is a geologist with degrees from the University of Arizona and Stanford. His specialty is water…and the lack of it.

The problem in north central India is too much water half the year and too little water the other half. The village, Salri, is located on a one kilometer watershed that, for the most part, has been deforested for firewood and animal grazing. The tropical climate with its annual monsoon pounds down on the ancient volcanic sheets (Deccan basalts) making the area subject to erosion and drought.

Moysey and his team surveyed the village and found 20 families making $40 a month on 80 acres of farmland. There was no running water, no cars, and little electrical power. There were no sanitation facilities. Animals shared their masters homes and water and the inevitable dysentery. Women spent most of their time hauling water from wells and streams to their homes leaving them little time for other chores and child care.

Their research continues, but Moysey is sharing his information with Geoscientists without Borders and the Foundation for Ecological Security. Together they hope to develop water and land use management plans that can increase groundwater collection and harvesting. This will involve determining where dams can be built for maximum storage. His Web site is

http://sites.google.com/site/gwbclemson/.

The local chapter of the Explorers Club, an international organization dedicated to advancing knowledge about our land, sea, air, and space, meets monthly for lunch and a presentation. Contact John Hodge for information at jhodge@hsblawfirm.com.