Middle Neches River water quality training set for Aug. 21 in Lufkin
Workshop to help residents learn about water resources, local watershed protection
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board will host a Texas Watershed Steward workshop on the Middle Neches River watershed on Aug. 21 in Lufkin.
The free event will be held at the AgriLife Extension office for Angelina County, 2201 S. Medford Drive, from 1-5 p.m. and is open to anyone interested in improving the region’s water quality.
Registration is required and can be completed online at https://tx.ag/MiddleNeches or by calling 979-321-5935.
“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, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
Helping improve water quality in the Middle Neches River watershed
The workshop will cover how watersheds work and where water pollution comes from. Attendees will take part in a group discussion on community-led efforts to protect and manage local watersheds. The session also includes a look at how water quality connects to land use in the Middle Neches area.
Residents are encouraged to attend and learn simple, effective ways to help protect the Middle Neches River through better land and water management practices.
Though the workshop will provide an emphasis on local water resources, the information remains applicable to all waters throughout the region, Kuitu said.
Continuing education opportunities
The Texas Watershed Steward program also offers continuing education units, CEUs, for multiple professional disciplines.
Available CEUs will include four hours in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, professional engineers, certified teachers, professional geoscientists, and certified floodplain managers.
American Institute of Certified Planners are eligible for four certification maintenance hours and one law hour. Four CEUs 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.
Additionally, three general CEUs are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator license holders, and two credits are offered for nutrient management specialists.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) 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, contact Kuitu at 979-321-5935, [email protected], or Cary Sims at 936-634-6414, [email protected].
For more information on the Middle Neches River watershed, contact Matt Stellbauer at 979-324-8211, [email protected].
