Rainwater harvesting, turf management training set for July 24 in Round Rock
Area residents are invited to the free event
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a free residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training on July 24 in Round Rock.
Offered in collaboration with the Brushy Creek Watershed Partnership, the training will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the training room of the City of Round Rock Utilities and Transportation Department Office, 3400 Sunrise Road.
Participants need to RSVP by visiting https://tx.ag/HLHWRoundRock or by contacting John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station, at 979-204-0573 or email [email protected]. Attendees will receive updates and training materials via email after registering.
“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.
Residential landscape best practices on the agenda
Participants will learn about the design and installation of residential rainwater harvesting systems and appropriate turf and landscape species based on local conditions and other best 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,” Smith 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,” said Dean Minchillo, Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, program specialist, Dallas.
Luna Yang, Brushy Creek watershed coordinator and TWRI research specialist, Bryan-College Station, will discuss updates on the partnership’s activities to improve and protect watershed water quality. Jessica Woods, City of Round Rock water conservation program coordinator, Round Rock, will also provide local conservation program updates.
Soil testing part of program
Residents can also have their soil tested as part of the program. The training will include information on understanding soil test results and nutrient recommendations to help interpret results once the analysis is mailed to them.
Sample bags and testing are free to program participants. Residents can pick up bags, sampling instructions and the Urban and Homeowner Soil Sample Information Form in advance at the AgriLife Extension office in Williamson County, 100 Wilco Way, Suite AG 201, in Georgetown. Samples also can be brought to the training where staff will have soil bags, if they are not picked up in advance.
If residents decide to return their samples later, they need to return them to the AgriLife Extension office one week after the training. Residents should not mail samples directly to the lab.
Samples will be sent to the AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab in College Station for routine analysis, including micronutrients, pH, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen and other parameters.
Funding for the program is provided in part by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through a Clean Water Act 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The project is managed by TWRI, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that combines expertise across the agencies of Texas A&M AgriLife.
