Water quality training June 23 will focus on Lake Granbury

GRANBURY, Texas – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Lake Granbury will be held from 1-5 p.m. June 23 at the Granbury Resort Conference Center, 621 E.State Loop 426 in Granbury.

The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

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.

“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, College Station.

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 Lake Granbury.

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 Lake Granbury plays in regards to regional water supplies, wildlife habitat, agriculture, industry and recreation is vital. It is a truly important water resource,” said Jody Cason, Granbury, AgriLife Research project manager and watershed coordinator for Lake Granbury.

“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed while receiving program materials and even continuing education credits at no cost,” said Marty Vahlenkamp, AgriLife Extension agent for Hood County.

Attendees of the training will 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; four credits for certified teachers; and two credits for nutrient management specialists.

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.

Four continuing education credits are offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licenses: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators.

Vahlenkamp 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.

For more information, contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, michael.kuitu@ag.tamu.edu, or Vahlenkamp at 817-579-3280, m-vahlenkamp@tamu.edu.

For more information about watershed protection efforts for Lake Granbury, contact Cason at 817-408-2535, jody.cason@tamu.edu.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act Section 319 nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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