Water quality training Dec. 4 in Corpus Christi will focus on Oso Creek, Oso Bay

CORPUS CHRISTI – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Oso Creek and Oso Bay will be held from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 4 in Room 106 of the Del Mar Economic Development Center, 3209 South StaplesSt. in Corpus Christi.

The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Del Mar Economic Development Center,Nueces River Authority and Coastal Bend Bays Foundation.

 

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 the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.

“This training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program.

Kuitu said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will primarily focus on area water quality issues, including current efforts to help improve and protect Oso Creek and Oso Bay. The workshop will address issues related to these two water bodies, but will be applicable to all waters in the region, he said.

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.

“The supportive role Oso Creek and Oso Bay play in regards to regional wildlife habitat, agriculture, fishing and recreation is vital.  They are truly important water resources,” said Jason Ott, AgriLife Extension agent for Nueces County.

Ott 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 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,” Ott said.

For more information, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Ott at 361-767-5217, j-ott@tamu.edu, or Kuitu at 979-862-8070, michael.kuitu@ag.tamu.edu.

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.

 

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