Lampasas River water quality training set for May 19 in Oakalla
Workshop to help residents learn about water resources, local watershed protection
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board will host a Texas Watershed Steward workshop on the Lampasas River watershed on May 19 in Oakalla.
The free event will be at the Oakalla Community Center, 29011 Farm-to-Market Road 963, 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/LampasasRiver 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.
“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 to improve water quality
The workshop will include a discussion on watershed systems and the types and sources of water pollution. There will also be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management, as well as an overview of water quality in relation to local watershed management.
Residents are encouraged to attend to learn how they may become involved in improving and maintaining the water quality of the Lampasas 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, Kuitu said.
Continuing education opportunities
The Texas Watershed Steward 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 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 Kelly Tarla at 512-756-5463, [email protected].
For more information on the Lampasas River, contact Lisa Prcin, AgriLife Research specialist and Lampasas River Watershed coordinator in Temple, at 254-774-6008, [email protected].
