LEAGUE CITY – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Dickinson Bayou will be held from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. July 21 at Clear Falls High School, 4380 Village Way in League City.
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 Dickinson Bayou Watershed Partnership, Texas Sea Grant and the Clear Creek Independent School District.
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, 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 Dickinson Bayou.
“The workshop will address issues related to Dickinson Bayou 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.
“The supportive role Dickinson Bayou plays in regard to wildlife habitat, fresh-water flows, storm water management, recreation and the surrounding cities in general, is vital. It is a truly important water resource,” said Charriss York, ArgiLife Extension program specialist for the agency’s Texas Coastal Watershed Program.
“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed while receiving program materials and even continuing education credits at no cost,” said Phoenix Rogers, AgriLife Extension agent for Galveston County.
Attendees will 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 and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers, and two credits for nutrient management specialists.
A total of four professional development hours are suggested for Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists licensed professional geoscientists. 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. Additionally, four continuing education credits are offered for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational license holders in wastewater system operations, public water system operations, on-site sewage facility installation and landscape irrigation.
Rogers said she 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.
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 Rogers at 281-309-5064, plrogers@ag.tamu.edu. For more information about watershed protection efforts for Dickinson Bayou, contact York at 281-218-6329, cyork@tamu.edu.
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.
-30-