Water quality training will focus on Lavaca River

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Lavaca River will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 5.

The workshop will be held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Jackson County, 411 N Wells, Edna. A virtual attendance option will also be available for those unable to attend in-person.

The event will be presented by AgriLife Extension and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI.

“This workshop is designed to help watershed residents learn about their water resources and how they may become 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. “The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region.”

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 social distancing measures and sanitation practices we plan to perform, will be provided,” Kuitu said.

Workshop content

The workshop will include a discussion on watershed systems along with types and sources of water pollution. 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,” Mike Hiller, AgriLife Extension agent for Jackson County, said. “It will address local water resources but will be applicable to all waters in the region.”

“The Lavaca River is an important water resource,” said Emily Monroe, TWRI program specialist. “The Lavaca is a treasured natural resource of the State of Texas for such activities as fishing and is essential wildlife habitat.”

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.

Continuing education credits

For those who attend in-person, four hours of continuing education is offered for the following professional disciplines: soil and water management for crop advisers; professional engineers; American Institute of Certified Planners members; teachers; professional geoscientists; landscape architects; and floodplain managers.

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.

In addition, three general continuing education units are offered to in-person attendees for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and two credits are offered for nutrient management specialists. For questions regarding professional continuing education afforded to virtual attendees, contact Kuitu.

“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” Hiller said.

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, and to preregister, go to the website, email Kuitu at mkuitu@ag.tamu.edu or call  979-862-4457; or email Hiller at mhiller@ag.tamu.edu or call 361-782-3312.

For information on watershed protection efforts for the Lavaca River watershed, email Monroe at Emily.monroe@ag.tamu.edu or call 979-458-3154.