Rainwater harvesting, turf management training set April 18 in Lockhart

Presented by AgriLife Extension’s Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters Program 

LOCKHART – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is hosting a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training April 18 in Lockhart.

The free program will be from 1-5 p.m. at the Lockhart State Park, 2012 State Park Road.

The training is offered in collaboration with the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership.

Seating is limited, so attendees are requested to RSVP online at http://bit.ly/2USl5h6 or contact John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station, at 979-845-2761 or johnwsmith@tamu.edu.

The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program aims to improve and protect surface water quality by enhancing awareness and knowledge of best management practices for residential landscapes, Smith said.

At the training, Stephen Risinger, watershed coordinator for Plum Creek Watershed, will discuss updates on watershed protection plan activities to improve and protect water quality in Plum Creek.

Dr. Becky Grubbs, AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist, College Station, said attendees will learn about the design and installation of residential rainwater harvesting systems and appropriate turf and landscape species per local conditions and practices.

“Management practices such as using irrigation delivery equipment, interpreting soil test results and understanding nutrient applications can help reduce runoff and make efficient use of applied landscape irrigation water,” Grubbs said.

Dr. Diane Boellstorff, AgriLife Extension water resource specialist, College Station, said proper fertilizer application and efficient water irrigation can protect and improve water quality in area creeks, and collecting rainwater for lawn and landscape needs reduces stormwater runoff.

Participants can have their soil tested as part of the training. The soil sample bag and analysis are free to Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program participants.

Residents can pick up a soil sample bag with sampling instructions at the AgriLife Extension office in Caldwell County, 1403 Blackjack St., Suite B in Lockhart. Bags containing soil samples may be brought to the training.

Soil samples will be delivered to the AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab in College Station for routine analysis, including pH, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen and other parameters.

The training will include information on how to understand soil test results and nutrient recommendations so residents can interpret results once the analysis is mailed to them.

For more information about the Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan, go to https://www.gbra.org/plumcreek/.

Funding for the Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is provided in part through Clean Water Act grants from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

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Contact: John Smith, 979-845-2761, johnwsmith@tamu.edu

Dr. Becky Grubbs, 979-845-3041, bgrubbs@tamu.edu

Dr. Diane Boellstorff, 979-458-3562, dboellstorff@tamu.edu