A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to Joe Pool Lake will be held from 8 a.m.-noon on Sept. 15 in Mansfield.
The workshop, which is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region, will be held at the Chris W. Burkett Service Center, 620 S. Wisteria St. It is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Trinity River Authority.
A virtual attendance option will also be available for those unable to attend in-person. A free, take-home boxed lunch, courtesy of Trinity River Authority, will be provided to in-person workshop attendees at the conclusion of the event.
“This workshop 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, Bryan-College Station.
To attend in person or virtually, participants must preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website or call 979-862-4457.
“Once registered, additional meeting information, including our social distancing measures and sanitation practices we plan to perform will be provided,” Kuitu said.
The workshop will include a discussion on 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 workshop will provide an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas with an emphasis on area water quality,” said Jacklyn Jones-Doyle, AgriLife Extension agent, Tarrant County. “It will address issues related to local water resources but will be applicable to all waters in the region.”
“Joe Pool Lake is both a popular recreational reservoir and vital water supply resource,” said Heather Firn, watershed scientist for the Trinity River Authority, Arlington. “Therefore, efforts are underway to gather water quality information and develop a stakeholder group to assist in the development of a non-regulatory, watershed protection plan. This workshop in particular will not only provide the public an opportunity to learn about water quality management, but also how they may become involved.”
Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and are eligible to earn a certificate of completion.
The Texas Watershed Steward program offers continuing education for multiple professional disciplines. However, the quantity of continuing education offered does vary for select disciplines, depending on whether one attends in-person or virtually.
For questions regarding professional continuing education afforded to virtual attendees, contact Kuitu.
For those who attend in person, four hours of continuing education are offered for the following professional disciplines: soil and water management for certified crop advisers, professional engineers, certified teachers, professional geoscientists, certified landscape architects and certified floodplain managers. Four hours 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.
Members of the American Institute of Certified Planners who attend in person will receive four hours in certification maintenance and 1.5 hours in law credit.
Three general continuing education units are offered to in-person attendees for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders. Two credits are offered for nutrient management specialists.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Jones-Doyle.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act 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, go to the website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; or Jones-Doyle at 817-884-1946, jacklyn.jones@ag.tamu.edu.
For information on watershed protection efforts for the Joe Pool Lake watershed, contact Firn at 817-467-4343, firnha@trinityra.org.
-30-