Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Matt Brown, 979-862-8072, matthew.brown@ag.tamu.edu
FORT WORTH – Two Lone Star Healthy Streams workshops are set for Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 in Fort Worth, offering participants a choice of which better fits their schedule and location, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service coordinator.
The Nov. 1 event, targeting the Eagle Mountain watershed, will be at the Tarrant County Resource Connection, 1100 Circle Drive. Lunch will be sponsored by the Tarrant Regional Water District.
The Nov. 2 event, focusing on the Lake Arlington watershed, will be at the Fort Worth Nature Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. Lunch will be sponsored by Village Creek-Lake Arlington Watershed Protection.
Fred Hall, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Tarrant County, said two workshops are being offered in the county because of the two distinct watersheds, but the meetings will be very similar. Registration begins at each at 9:30 a.m. and the program will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While the catered lunches will be provided at no cost, an RSVP is requested by Oct. 28 for both workshops on the Lone Star Healthy Streams website, http://lshs.tamu.edu/workshops.
Workshop presentations will focus on basic watershed functions, water quality and specific best management practices that can be implemented to help minimize bacterial contamination originating from beef cattle, horses and feral hogs, said Matt Brown, AgriLife Extension program specialist in College Station.
Speakers at the Nov. 1 event will include Dr. Dennis Sigler, AgriLife Extension horse specialist, Stephenville; Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Overton; and Brown. Sigler and Brown will be joined by Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, San Angelo, on Nov. 2.
Three general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits will be provided for certified pesticide applicators, Brown said.
The goal of the Lone Star Healthy Streams program is to educate landowners and managers on how to protect Texas waterways from bacterial contributions associated with livestock production and feral hogs, he said.
Lone Star Healthy Streams is designed to help landowners maximize livestock and land production while maintaining a healthy landscape, Brown said. Workshop discussions will include practices to improve resource utilization, support herd health, decrease operational costs over time and produce clean water from the property.
The Lone Star Healthy Streams program is funded through a Clean Water Act grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
-30-