Riparian and stream ecosystem workshop set for Oct. 14 in Medina
Event to focus on Upper Medina River watershed
The Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program on Oct. 14 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Medina.
The program is for citizens interested in land and water stewardship in the Upper Medina River watershed. The morning session will be held at the Nature Conservancy’s Love Creek Preserve, 2725 Elam Creek Road. The afternoon session will include a walk and presentations along the creek.
Attendees must RSVP by Oct. 7 at tx.ag/Medina25 or by contacting Alexander Neal, TWRI program specialist, Bryan-College Station, at [email protected]. The program will include a lunchtime presentation. A catered lunch will be available for $15, or attendees may bring their own lunch.
“Riparian education workshops motivate informed landowners and local residents to adopt and support practices to better manage riparian and stream ecosystems,” Neal said. “Water quality and quantity are directly improved by the proper management, protection and restoration of these critical areas. The soundness of stream banks, fish communities and aquatic habitats is also improved.”
The workshop is co-hosted by the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Riparian Association.
Focus on Upper Medina River
Neal said the workshop will focus on the nature and function of stream and riparian zones as well as the benefits and economic impacts of properly functioning riparian systems.
“Riparian areas – the green vegetated land areas adjacent to the bank of a stream, creek, bayou, river or lake – are unique and important ecosystems that provide many benefits, including habitat and forage,” Neal said. “The goal of the workshop is for participants to better understand riparian and watershed processes, the benefits of healthy riparian areas and what resources are available to prevent degradation while improving water quality.”
About the workshop
Workshop presentations will be given by representatives of TWRI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, AgriLife Extension, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Riparian Association.
Neal said they are able to offer the workshop without cost thanks to program funding provided through a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
CEUs offered
The workshop will offer the following continuing education units:
- Three for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders — two general and one integrated pest management.
- Foresters and professional loggers can receive six hours from the Texas Forestry Association, six and a half hours from the Society of American Foresters, and eight hours from the International Society of Arboriculture.
- Seven hours from the Texas Floodplain Management Association.
- Seven hours for certified crop advisers.
- Six hours for Texas Nutrient Management Planning specialists.
- The program may also be used for continuing education units for professional engineers and architects.
The riparian education program is managed by TWRI, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research unit that combines expertise across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Neal or visit texasriparian.org or facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation.
