SAN ANTONIO – Two no-cost Texas Watershed Steward workshops on water quality issues related to the San Antonio area will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. July 10 – 11 in San Antonio.
The July 10 workshop will be held at the Antique Rose Emporium, 7561 East Evans Road. The July 11 workshop will be held in the Providence West Social Room at Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 Southwest 24th Street.
The trainings are no-cost and seating will be limited, so participants are encouraged to preregister at http://tws.tamu.edu.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the San Antonio River Authority and San Antonio Water System. The event is open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the San Antonio area.
“The workshop is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, Bexar County.
Davis said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas and current efforts to help improve and protect the health of important state water sources.
The training will include a discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality. There will also be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
“The San Antonio River and Edwards Aquifer are critical resources for our region,” said Karen Opiela, intergovernmental relations coordinator for the San Antonio River Authority. “For example, we rely on their waters for municipal drinking supplies, and to support agricultural production, recreational activities and other economic assets. Our surface waters are also considered to be important wildlife habitat areas.”
“Along with the free training, participants receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion,” said Galen Roberts, AgriLife Extension program coordinator with the Texas Watershed Steward program.
The program offers seven continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, seven units for professional engineers and certified planners, and seven continuing education credits for certified teachers. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, three for certified landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” Roberts said.
For more information and to preregister, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Roberts at 979-862-8070 or groberts@ag.tamu.edu. Locally, contact Davis at 210-467-6575 or by-davis@tamu.edu.
For more information on watershed protection and restoration efforts in the San Antonio River Basin visit the San Antonio River Authority website at www.sara-tx.org and the San Antonio Water System website at www.saws.org.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act §319(h) nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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