Rainwater harvesting program Aug. 12 in Seguin should ‘capture’ interest

SEGUIN – The “Rainwater Harvesting for Homeowners” program will be held from 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 12 at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority’s River Annex, 905 Nolan St. in Seguin, said program coordinators.

The training is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

The program is a joint effort of the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Partnership, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, said Ward Ling, watershed coordinator for the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed.

“Rainwater harvesting is a great way to capture and utilize water that is normally lost to runoff,” Ling said. “This process collects rainwater, stores it and allows it to be used when needed, lessening the demand on existing water supplies, which is especially critical in these times of drought.”

Participants in the class will learn about the benefits of rainwater harvesting and other conservation methods, as well as how to build an effective system, said John Smith, AgriLife Extension water resources specialist,College Station, who will serve as one of the program instructors for the class.

“Not only does rainwater harvesting provide an additional source of water, it also reduces contamination of surface water due to storm-water runoff by allowing the rainwater to be filtered more than it typically would be if it just drained directly into the creek,” Smith said.

Attendees are asked to RSVP to Ling at wling@ag.tamu.edu or 979-845-6980 in order to ensure adequate materials.

“Three lucky attendees will win a 40-gallon rain barrel as a door prize for attending,” Ling said.

In 2008, Geronimo Creek was identified for watershed protection plan development due to concerns about elevated levels of bacteria and nitrate-nitrogen, Ling said. The Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed includes parts of Comal and Guadalupe counties, as well as portions of the cities of New Braunfels and Seguin.

More information about the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership and this program can be found at http://www.geronimocreek.org/.

The facilitation of the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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