A Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop will be held on April 19 at the Gatesville Civic Center, 301 Veterans Memorial Loop, Gatesville.
The workshop is offered as a joint effort by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Natural Resources Institute and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI.
The free workshop will run from 8 a.m. to noon. RSVP by April 17 to the AgriLife Extension office in Coryell County at 254-865-2414.
Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits in integrated pest management for pesticide applicators are available.
The program will focus on the Leon River Watershed and discuss basic watershed function, water quality and specific best-management practices that can be implemented to help minimize bacterial contamination originating from livestock and feral hogs.
“The goal of the Lone Star Healthy Streams program is to protect Texas waterways from bacterial contamination originating from livestock, wildlife and invasive species that may pose a serious health risk to Texans,” said Leanne Wiley, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Lone Star Healthy Streams coordinator, Bryan-College Station. “The aim is to increase awareness, provide education materials to Texas producers and landowners, and encourage implementation.”
Protecting the Leon River Watershed
The Leon River watershed encompasses approximately 2,600 square miles in Bell, Hamilton, Coryell, Comanche and Erath counties. The river, located below Lake Proctor, was listed as “impaired” for having bacteria concentrations that exceed state water quality standards.
“Stakeholders recognize successful implementation of a watershed protection plan requires implementing a variety of management strategies,” said Lucas Gregory, TWRI associate director and Leon River watershed coordinator. More information on the project will be presented at the workshop.
Funding for this effort is provided through a Clean Water Act Section 319 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 workshop, contact Wiley at 979-240-8407 or leanne.wiley@ag.tamu.edu; or Robert Ferguson, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Coryell County, at 254-865-2414 or robert.ferguson@ag.tamu.edu.
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