Riparian and stream ecosystem workshop set for July 1 in La Marque
Bastrop, Dickinson, Highland and Jarbo Bayou watershed residents invited to free educational program
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and it’s Disaster Assessment and Recovery Unit, Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, Galveston Bay Coalition of Watersheds and the Texas Riparian Association will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program on July 1 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in La Marque.
The program is designed for residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Bastrop, Dickinson, Highland and Jarbo Bayou watersheds.
The morning session will take place at the AgriLife Extension office for Galveston County, 4102-B Main St. The afternoon session will include a walk and presentations along Marchand Bayou.
“Riparian education workshops motivate informed landowners and local residents to adopt and support practices to better manage riparian and stream ecosystems,” said Alexander Neal, TWRI program specialist, Bryan-College Station. “The proper management, protection and restoration of these critical areas directly benefit water quality and quantity and enhance the soundness of stream banks, fish communities and aquatic habitats.”
Focus on water quality improvement
The event will focus on water quality improvement efforts by stakeholders in the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed.
“Our stakeholders recognized that successful water quality improvement requires implementing a variety of management strategies,” said Brandi Keller, AgriLife Extension agent for Galveston County. “The riparian and stream workshop is an educational event supporting this effort.”
Neal said the workshop will outline the nature and function of stream and riparian zones, the green vegetated land areas adjacent to the bank of a stream, creek, bayou, river or lake, as well as the benefits and economic impacts of properly functioning riparian systems.
“Riparian areas are unique and important ecosystems that provide many benefits, including habitat and forage,” Neal said. “The goal of the workshop is for participants to understand better 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’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, AgriLife Extension, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Riparian Association.
The workshop is free 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.
Continuing education units offered
The workshop will offer the following continuing education units:
- Two general and one integrated pest management units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders.
- 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 from Certified Crop Advisers.
- Seven hours from the Society for Range Management.
- 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 unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that combines expertise across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Neal at [email protected], visit texasriparian.org, or facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation.
