WATERSHED STEWARD WORKSHOP FRIDAY
A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Mill Creek will be held from 1-5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9 in the basement meeting room of the Austin County Courthouse, 1 E. Main St. in Bellville. The training is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region, said program coordinators. Participants are encouraged to preregister at http://tws.tamu.edu.
The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. “Development of a watershed protection plan for Mill Creek will soon begin, and involvement by local citizens is crucial during this process,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program. “Therefore, this training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming informed and actively involved in their local watershed protection and management activities.” Kuitu said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, with a focus on area water quality issues, including current efforts to help improve and protect Mill Creek. Although the workshop will address issues related to Mill Creek, the information provided will be applicable to all watersheds in the region.
The training will include a discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality. There also will be a group discussion on community driven watershed protection and management. “Mill Creek is an important water resource,” said Philip Shackelford, AgriLife Extension agent for Austin County. “It provides water for wildlife habitat and supports agricultural and recreational activities.” Shackelford said he wants to encourage local residents and other stakeholders to attend the workshop to gain more information about water resources and water quality improvement and protection.
Along with the training, participants receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers, professional geoscientists and certified planners, and four credits for certified teachers. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, four for certified landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Kara Matheney, AgriLife Extension agent for Washington County. For more information, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Shackelford at 979-865-2072, p-shackelford@tamu.edu; Matheney at 979-277-6212, kjmatheney@ag.tamu.edu; or Kuitu at 979-862-4457, michael.kuitu@ag.tamu.edu.
Texas Watershed Steward workshop flyer
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Story courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.