Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Jared Alewine, 830-780-3906, jared.alewine@ag.tamu.edu
Patricia Carvajal, 210-302-3672, pmcarvajal@sara-tx.org
Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu
KENEDY – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality and management related to the Lower San Antonio River watershed will be from 1-5 p.m. April 20.
The workshop will be in the Ashland Specialty Ingredients Training Center, 400 Escondido Rd. in Kenedy. It will be presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the San Antonio River Authority.
The workshop begins with registration at 12:30 p.m. with a free lunch sponsored by the San Antonio River Authority for all attendees who preregister on or before April 18.
“This workshop is designed to assist watershed residents in improving and protecting their water resources by becoming involved in Lower San Antonio River water quality management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, College Station. “The workshop, lunch and professional continuing education credits are all free and open to anyone interested in protecting water quality in the region.”
Participants are encouraged to preregister on the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.
A discussion on watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality will be included in the program. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
“The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will focus primarily on local water quality initiatives, including current efforts to help improve and protect the Lower San Antonio River,” said Jared Alewine, AgriLife Extension agent for Karnes County. “It will address local water resources but will be applicable to all waters in the region.”
Patricia Carvajal, quality assurance supervisor for the San Antonio River Authority, said an implementation plan is being developed to curb excess levels of bacteria in the Lower San Antonio River.
“Active involvement from the local communities is critical to successfully improving the quality of the Lower San Antonio River, she said. “Therefore, we encourage all members of the public to register and attend this free workshop to learn about water quality management, what is being done and how to become involved.”
Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The Texas Watershed Steward program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers, and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available for professional geoscientists.
In addition, three general continuing education units are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and four for certified landscape architects. Four continuing education credits are provided to certified floodplain managers and 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.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For information on the Lower San Antonio River implementation plan, go to http://bit.ly/2n7vtEC or contact Carvajal at 210-302-3672, pmcarvajal@sara-tx.org.
For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program and to preregister, go to the TWS website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; or Alewine at 830-780-3906, jared.alewine@ag.tamu.edu.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” Alewine said.
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