A free, hybrid Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to Bois d’Arc Lake will be held from 1-5 p.m. on June 30.
The workshop will be held at the Derrell Hall Education Center, 2505 N. Center St., Bonham. A virtual attendance option will also be available for those unable to attend in-person.
The event is presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with North Texas Municipal Water District, NTMWD.
“This workshop is designed to help watershed residents learn about their water resources and how they may become involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, Bryan-College Station.
“The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region,” he said.
To attend in person or virtually, participants must preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at https://tws.tamu.edu/ or by calling 979-862-4457.
“Once registered, additional meeting information, including our social distancing measures and sanitation practices we plan to perform will be provided,” Kuitu said.
Protecting Bois d’Arc Lake
The workshop will include a discussion on watershed systems, along with types and sources of water pollution. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
Cody Maxwell, AgriLife Extension agent for Fannin County, said the workshop will include local information, but also provide an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas and be applicable to all waters in the region.
“Development of a non-regulatory watershed protection plan for Bois d’Arc Lake will soon begin, and involvement by local citizens is crucial during this process,” said David Cowan, NTMWD watershed manager.
“It’s important that we take proactive measures, which can only be successful with public involvement, to protect the quality and integrity of the waters in Bois d’Arc Lake,” he said.
Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and are eligible to earn a certificate of completion. The Texas Watershed Steward program offers continuing education for multiple professional disciplines. However, the quantity of continuing education offered does vary for select disciplines, depending on whether one attends in-person or virtually.
Continuing watershed education
Four hours of continuing education units (CEUs) are available for those who attend in person. CEUs are available for the following professional disciplines: soil and water management for certified crop advisers, professional engineers, certified teachers, professional geoscientists, certified landscape architects and certified floodplain managers. American Institute of Certified Planners certified planners will receive four CEUs in certification maintenance and one and a half law.
Four CEUs will also be provided to the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators.
Three general CEUs are available to in-person attendees for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and two credits are offered for nutrient management specialists. Contact Kuitu for questions regarding professional continuing education afforded to virtual attendees.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program and to preregister, go to the website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; or Maxwell at 903-583-7453, cody.maxwell@ag.tamu.edu.
For information on watershed protection efforts for the Bois d’Arc Lake watershed, contact Cowan at 469-626-4416, dcowan@ntmwd.com.
By Kerry Halladay with AgriLife Today.
Photo: Bois d’Arc Lake. (Texas Watershed Steward photo)
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