KILLEEN – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Nolan Creek will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 19 at Texas A&M University – Central Texas, 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen.
A free Texas Watershed Steward training relating to water quality issues in and around Nolan Creek will be held Sept. 19 in Killeen. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service graphic)
The free training is open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the Killeen area, said program coordinators. Participants are encouraged to preregister at http://tws.tamu.edu.
The workshop is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board as part of the Texas Watershed Steward program, and is being held in coordination with the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research.
“The workshop is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources and gain a better understanding of how water quality in Nolan Creek is being managed,” said Lyle Zoeller, AgriLife Extension agent for Bell County.
“It will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but primarily focus on water quality issues relating to Nolan Creek, including current efforts to help improve and protect this important water body,” Zoeller said.
“Nolan Creek extends from its headwaters Northwest of Killeen to its confluence with the Leon River just south of Belton,” said Nikki Jackson, senior project and policy director with the environmental research institute. “Nolan Creek is an important part of the area, having been used for recreation and also serving as a wildlife habitat for many species.”
The training will include a discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
“Nolan Creek is on the state list of impaired waters for elevated levels of bacteria” Jackson said. “It first appeared on that list in 1996 and current efforts are aimed at further assessing the extent of the impairment.”
Jackson encouraged stakeholders to attend the Texas Watershed Steward Workshop to learn about the dangers of water pollution and how to become involved in water quality protection efforts.
Participants will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The program also offers seven continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisors, seven units for professional engineers and certified planners, and seven continuing education credits for certified teachers.
The workshop also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, seven for certified landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward training is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Galen Roberts, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward Program.
For more information and to preregister, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Galen Roberts at 979-862-8070, groberts@ag.tamu.edu , or Lyle Zoeller at 254-933-5305, l-zoeller@tamu.edu .
For more information about the “Nolan Creek Assessment of Water Quality and Watershed Based Planning” project visit www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/nonpoint-source/projects/ .
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.
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