A free Texas Watershed Steward Program training will be held from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Thursday, May 12 in the meeting room of the Corpus Christi Water Department, 2726 Holly Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78415. This one-day event is sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the City of Corpus Christi and Nueces River Authority.
The training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by getting involved in local watershed protection and management activities. Along with free education and training, participants receive a free copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook, prizes and gifts, and a certificate of completion. In addition, the program offers 7 continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisors, 7 units for professional engineers and planners, and 7 continuing education credits for certified teachers. It also offers 3 general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, 7 for certified landscape architects and 3 for certified floodplain managers.
The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas and will primarily focus on water quality issues relating to the Lower Nueces River Watershed, including current efforts to help improve the health of this important watershed.
The training is open to anyone interested in improving the water quality of the Lower Nueces River Watershed. Pre-registration is open and that those interested in participating may pre-register through the Texas Watershed Stewards website, http://tws.tamu.edu.
Since a catered noon meal will be provided, workshop participants need to take a minute to complete the quick and easy online form on our website so we can ensure there are enough materials and meals for the participants.
“The City of Corpus Christi has contracted with the Nueces River Authority to develop a watershed protection plan for the Lower Nueces River between Wesley Seale Dam at Lake Corpus Christi to the Saltwater Barrier Dam in Corpus Christi,” said Rocky Freund, deputy executive director of the Nueces River Authority, Coastal Bend Division. “The plan will be created to protect the drinking water source for around a half a million people within the Coastal Bend area.”
Freund said the Nueces River Authority, City of Corpus Christi and other stakeholders are just starting to work on an implementation plan to improve the water quality issues and encourage land and water stewardship in the Lower Nueces River Watershed.
Participating in the Texas Watershed Stewards program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed. You can be a part of this effort by attending the upcoming training. For more information and to pre-register, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or call 979-458-3478 or n-dictson@tamu.edu .
Texas Watershed Stewards is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act §319(h) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at 361-767-5223 at least eight days before all programs for assistance. Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin
