Cypress Creek, Blanco River water quality training set for Sept. 24 in Wimberley
Workshop to help residents learn about water resources, local watershed protection
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will hold a Texas Watershed Steward workshop on the Cypress Creek and Blanco River watersheds on Sept. 24 in Wimberley.
The free event will be held at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12, 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://tws.tamu.edu/workshops/registration/ or by calling 979-321-5935. Once registered, additional meeting information will be provided.
Attendees will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and are eligible to earn a certificate of completion.
Helping to improve water quality
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 and an overview of water quality as it relates to watershed management at the local level.
Residents are encouraged to attend to learn how they may become involved in improving and maintaining the water quality of Cypress Creek and the Blanco River through best management practices.
Though the workshop will provide an emphasis on local water resources, the information remains applicable to all waters throughout the region, said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
Continuing education opportunities
The program offers continuing education units, CEUs, for multiple professional disciplines.
Available CEUs 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 and one law hours. 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.
In addition, three general CEUs are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator license holders, and two credits are offered for nutrient management specialists.
For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program, contact Aaron McCoy at 512-393-2120, [email protected], or Kuitu at 979-321-5935, [email protected].
Funding for the workshop 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.
The event is presented by AgriLife Extension and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.
