David Groschke, 254-729-5314, dwgroschke@ag.tamu.edu
Lucas Gregory, 979-845-7869, lfgregory@ag.tamu.edu
Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, michael.kuitu@ag.tamu.edu
KOSSE – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to the Navasota River will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 7 at the Kosse Community Center, 200 Texas 14 in Kosse.
The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute.
The training is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region, said program coordinators. Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.
“This training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program in College Station.
Kuitu said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will primarily focus on area water quality issues, including current efforts to help improve and protect the Navasota River. The workshop will address issues related to the Navasota but will be applicable to all waters in the region, he said.
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.
“Various segments and tributaries of the Navasota River above and below Lake Limestone to its confluence with the Brazos River are on the state list of impaired waters for elevated levels of bacteria,” said Lucas Gregory, project specialist for the Texas Water Resources Institute in College Station. “It first appeared on that list in 2002.”
“The supportive role the Navasota River plays in regional water supplies, wildlife habitat and agriculture is vital. It is a truly important water resource,” said David Groschke, AgriLife Extension agent for Limestone County.
Groschke said he wants to encourage local residents and other stakeholders to attend the workshop to gain more information about water resources and water quality improvement and protection.
Along with the training, participants receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers; four units for professional engineers, professional geoscientists and certified planners; four credits for certified teachers; and two credits for nutrient management specialists. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, four 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,” said Gregory.
For more information and to preregister, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, michael.kuitu@ag.tamu.edu, or Groschke at 254-729-5314, dwgroschke@ag.tamu.edu. For more information about watershed protection efforts for the Navasota River contact Gregory at 979-845-7869, lfgregory@ag.tamu.edu.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act Section 319 nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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