TEMPLE, TEXAS – The Texas Watershed Steward Program will host a free workshop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 at the Hart-Morris Conservation Center located at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center near Athens. The workshop, sponsored by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation, addresses the fundamentals of watershed systems, water quality regulations and monitoring, watershed improvement methods, enhancing watershed functions, and community-driven water resource management.
"The Texas Watershed Steward Program is for anyone interested in water quality issues and who may want to become more directly involved in watershed protection and management in their area," said Jennifer Peterson, AgriLife Extension program specialist.
This workshop is being held in support of on-going watershed management activities for the Middle Trinity River Watershed. Water quality issues threatening recreational opportunities and overall stream health have prompted the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to sponsor efforts to work with local residents and property owners to better understand the watershed and to develop a strategy for protecting and restoring water quality.
"The Texas Watershed Steward Program is an excellent resource, not only for landowners but for every citizen inside the watershed," said Jody Carton, Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation executive director. “Whether or not we are aware, we all live and work inside a watershed and should therefore all be concerned with water quality, health and longevity.”
Flanked on the northern and southern ends by the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas, the Trinity River Basin is home to more than 5.5 million people. The Trinity River extends 512 miles before emptying into the Galveston Bay estuary. The river is widely used for fishing and other types of recreation and provides valuable habitat for many types of aquatic plants and animals.
Although there is no charge for participating, pre-registration is required to ensure availability of materials. Workshop attendees will receive a catered lunch, copy of the Texas Watershed Steward curriculum handbook and a certificate of completion.
To register, visit the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Peterson at 979-862-8072 or jlpeterson@ag.tamu.edu.
More information on the Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation is available at http://www.trinitybasin.org or by contacting Carton at 903- 670-2260 or jcarton@trinitybasin.org. Additional resources may be found at http://www.tsswcb.state.tx.us/managementprogram/txwsp or by contacting Pamela Casebolt, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board project manager at 254-773-2250 ext 247 or pcasebolt@tsswcb.state.tx.us.
The Texas Watershed Steward Program is supported through Clean Water Act §319(h) nonpoint source grants from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board is the lead agency for planning, implementing, and managing programs and practices for preventing and abating agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint sources of water pollution. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board also coordinates the programs and activities of the state’s 216 soil and water conservation districts, administers a Water Supply Enhancement Program for the selective control of water depleting brush and facilitates the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating Committee.