For area residents determined to protect their water sources, a Texas Watershed Steward workshop on the Cypress Creek and Blanco River watersheds will be held September 24 at the Wimberley Community Center from 1 to 5 p.m.
The free educational workshop is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by getting involved in local protection and management activities. It also provides Continuing Education Units for a number of professionals.
Several topics will be discussed. Watershed systems, types of water pollution and their sources, community-driven watershed protection and management, and an overview of water quality as it relates to watershed management at the local level are on the agenda.
Light refreshments will be provided during the session and participants 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, Bryan-College Station.
The event is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.
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.
Participants must pre-register by visiting the Texas Watershed Steward website at https://tws.tamu. edu/workshops/registration/ or by calling 979-321-5935. Once registered, additional meeting information will be provided, Kuitu said.
Continuing education opportunities
The following professional disciplines will earn four CEU hours: soil and water management for certified crop advisors, 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, onsite sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators.
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 questions about professional CEUs afforded to attendees, contact Kuitu. For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program, contact Aaron McCoy at 512-3932120, [email protected] or Kuitu at 979-321-5935, michael. [email protected].
