NEW BRAUNFELS — The Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, University of Texas School of Public Health-El Paso Regional Campus and Texas AgriLife Research are hosting the 2012 Bacterial Source Tracking State of the Science Conference Feb. 28-29 in New Braunfels.

The conference will be held at the T Bar M Resort and Conference Center, 2549 Highway 46 West, with programs from 8:15 a.m. -5:15 p.m. Feb. 28 and 8 a.m.-noon Feb. 29. It is being coordinated by the Texas Water Resource Institute and funded by a state general revenue nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.

Event coordinators said speakers at the conference will discuss bacterial source tracking and highlight current practices, scientific advances and improvements in application.

“Nonpoint sources of pollution greatly affect water quality, with bacteria being a serious concern,” said Dr. Kevin Wagner, an associate director of the institute. “Identifying and assessing sources of fecal pollution are vital in effectively implementing a nonpoint source pollution management program, and bacterial source tracking helps identify the source of bacterial pollution.”

Wagner said the conference is targeted toward state, federal and regional agency personnel; elected officials; academia and students; and others interested in bacterial source tracking.

Conference speakers include experts from Texas A&M University at Galveston, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The University of Minnesota and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Others involved in the conference include Texas A&M University in College Station, the University of South Florida and James Madison University.

Check-in is from 7:30-8 a.m. Feb. 28, and agenda items include presentations on defining bacterial source tracking, applications and regulations, accuracy and sensitivity, and bacterial source tracking case studies.

The Feb. 29 program begins at 8 a.m. with a continuation of case studies, followed by presentations on bacterial source tracking and modeling, then discussion on the current and future state of bacterial source tracking science.

Poster submissions relating to bacterial source tracking for presentation at the conference are now being accepted on the conference website.

A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at a special rate of $85 a night per person, including breakfast from 7-8 a.m. Feb. 29 for overnight guests. The special rate is only applicable for Feb. 27 and Feb. 28.

Conference attendees should contact T Bar M Resort & Conference Center to make reservations and identify themselves as attending the Texas Water Resources Institute conference using the reference reservation number 343934.

For more information on the conference or to register, visit: texasbst.tamu.edu/2012-conference/

Early registration is $25 if postmarked by Jan. 27 and $30 thereafter. Cost includes material, lunch and breaks.