Justin Klinksiek, 325-597-1295, justin.klinksiek@ag.tamu.edu
Chuck Brown, 325-655-0565, chuckb@ucratx.org
Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu
BRADY – A free Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Brady Creek watershed will be 8 a.m.-noon April 12 at the Municipal Court Building, 207 S. Elm St. in Brady.
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 Upper Colorado River Authority.
“This workshop is designed to assist watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in watershed protection and management activities for Brady Creek,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, College Station. “The workshop is open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region.”
He said participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at https://tws.tamu.edu
The workshop will include discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, ways to improve and protect water quality and a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
“The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will primarily focus on area water quality, including current efforts to help improve and protect Brady Creek,” said Justin Klinksiek, AgriLife Extension agent for McCulloch County. “It will address issues related to local water resources but will be applicable to all waters in the region.”
The role Brady Creek plays in supporting regional wildlife habitat, recreation, Brady Lake and more is vital and it is a truly important water resource, noted Chuck Brown, director of operations for the river authority.
Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The Texas Watershed Steward program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisors, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers, and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available for professional geoscientists.
In addition, three general continuing education units are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and four for certified landscape architects. Four continuing education credits are provided to certified floodplain managers. Four continuing education credits are also offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers, and landscape irrigators.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Klinksiek.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program and to preregister, go to the website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu, or Klinksiek at 325-597-1295, justin.klinksiek@ag.tamu.edu.
For information on the watershed protection efforts for the Brady Creek watershed, contact Brown at 325-655-0565, chuckb@ucratx.org .
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