Urban Stream Processes and Restoration Program – Advanced Stream Restoration Design

January 20–22, 2021

Wednesday:  9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thursday:  9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday:  9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Virtual Format

Agenda

Registration

Rivers and streams are at the core of many urban areas. These waterways perform many important functions such as transporting runoff and sediments, as well as providing habitat for wildlife and moderating temperatures. Natural stream design helps restore and maintain these functions and minimize negative impacts of urbanization, such as erosion and flooding. Maintaining or restoring riparian vegetation along urban streams can also improve surface water quality throughout the watershed by filtering nonpoint source pollution. 

This three-day advanced workshop is being co-hosted by the Texas Riparian Association, Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Water Resources Institute. The training will focus on natural design processes for stream restoration projects and is more in-depth than the one-day trainings. Materials presented in the training will help attendees understand at a deeper level:

• natural stream processes,
• classification of streams using the Rosgen system,
• natural channel design techniques,
• regulatory overview,
• stream survey procedures,
• bioassessment, and
• natural design structures.

Each section contains information and resources for each topic. The course qualifies for several continuing education units (CEUs).  

Continuing education units available:

• Texas Water Resources Institute 
• Texas Floodplain Management Association
• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners “acceptable for HSW credit”
• The program may also be used for CEUs for Professional Engineers
• Check with your chapter for Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners to see if it is approved for your area.

The cost will be $75 and includes all training materials and a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Registration will be required by January 15, 2021. The event will be offered online and will include lectures, videos, worksheets and breakout groups. 

Please register online through the link above or send an email to clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu.

Please join our listserv or like us on Facebook for more information on future programs!

The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College at Texas A&M University. It is funded through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

CALL FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS:

2021 Urban Riparian Symposium: Down by the Riverside: Creating Connections in a Distanced World

February 10 – 12, 2021

Abstracts are being sought for oral presentations and posters for the Urban Riparian Symposium: Down by the Riverside: Creating Connections in a Distanced World set to take place February 10 – 12, 2021. The symposium will be held virtual this year so presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts for presentations that can be delivered in an online format with a focus on engaging in a distanced world. Pre-recorded, live presentations, or audio only presentations will be considered. Please submit abstracts via our online portal on or before December 14, 2020. Email texasriparian@gmail.com with any questions.

If your abstract is accepted, it will be published in the Conference Proceedings. The sessions for the Conference Program will be organized based on the list of topics below. Provided your presentation meets the selection criteria, we will do our best to include you in the program.

Session Topics for Conference

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will be 20 minutes in length (15 minutes for your presentation with 5 minutes for questions). If your abstract is accepted, you will receive additional information regarding presentation logistics and guidelines. Please note that the length of each presentation is subject to change. If your presentation is part of a series of presentations please notify us of the other presentation/s that it is paired with.

Poster Presentations

Poster presentations are strongly encouraged as they allow extended informal discussions and active participation of co-authors. There will be a dedicated poster session on Thursday, February 11 in addition to the posters being displayed throughout the conference.

Photo Submissions (Not Restricted to URS Participants)

A picture is worth a thousand words, so TRA is requesting stream and nature related photos to be viewed during the symposium and posted afterwards on the TRA website. Please submit a digital image for viewing on a large screen to texasriparian@gmail.com and make images a minimum of 800 x 600 pixels and a maximum of 1600 x 1200 with a maximum resolution of 150 dpi or around 1 – 1.5MB in size. Include the name of the piece, type of media, and a bio of the artist. Artwork will be shown online with conference materials.

Registration Policy

All oral and poster presenters are required to register for the conference before January 10, 2021 or their abstract will risk being withdrawn from the final program. Early Bird and student rates will be available for $75. After January 10^th the registration price will be $90.

Please include the following on the abstract submission

• Primary Presenter/Contact (one person only)
• Organization/Company
• Address, Telephone number & Email address of Primary Contact
• Poster or Oral Presentation (pre-recorded, live webinar, or audio only)
• Category(s) from Call for Abstracts
• Title of Presentation
• Author(s) (as it would appear in a publication)
• Abstract Text (300 word (Max)

Consider Sharing

• How is your project or research unique within the urban context? Within your city? How has it been adapted during the pandemic?
• What constraints, priorities, and opportunities are present in urban riparian systems that are not often part of traditional riparian projects?
• Who benefited most from the restoration efforts? What outreach was carried out?
• How were stakeholders identified and engaged with social distancing guidelines? Which stakeholders were most actively involved?
• What strategies were (and were not) successful?

Would you do things differently next time, based on lessons learned? What lessons can be taken from the city to the country and vice-versa?

Sponsor URS 2021

Sponsorship includes logo on all materials and complimentary registrations.

Tributary Sponsorship $150 – includes logo on all materials, virtual customizable booth including visitor tracking, networking video calls and chat capability, and 1 complimentary registration.

Creek Sponsorship $300 – includes logo on all materials, virtual customizable booth including visitor tracking, networking video calls and chat capability, and 2 complimentary registrations.

Stream Sponsorship $500 – includes logo on all materials, virtual customizable booth including visitor tracking, networking video calls and chat capability, and up to 4 complimentary registrations.

River Sponsorship $800 – includes logo on all materials, virtual customizable booth including visitor tracking, networking video calls and chat capability, and up to 6 complimentary registrations.

Payment can be made by sending in Sponsorship form with registrants information and mailing in a check or paying by credit card online through our website by PayPal by clicking the Buy Now button. If paying by credit card please mail or email us the form with registrants’ information. Please email us a high quality graphic file of your logo so we can add it to the website and materials.

Conference Information Link: https://texasriparian.org/2021-urban-riparian-symposium/

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Riparian and Stream Ecosystems – San Antonio Area Watersheds

December 8, 2020
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Virtual)

RSVP

This two-part online workshop will feature a virtual training on the nature and function of stream and riparian zones and their benefits to be viewed at the participants’ leisure before the December 8^th virtual meeting. The December 8^th meeting will include a discussion with course instructors and local watershed coordinators. The online education program will cover an introduction to riparian principles, watershed processes, basic hydrology, erosion/deposition principles, and riparian vegetation, as well as potential causes of degradation and possible resulting impairment(s), and available local resources including technical assistance and tools that can be employed to prevent and/or resolve degradation. This event is being co-hosted by the San Antonio River Authority, the AgriLife Extension Office in Bexar County, the Texas Riparian Association, and the Texas Water Resources Institute.

This virtual training will be made available to registrants two weeks prior to the virtual meeting on December 8, 2020. This will allow participants to listen to the course at their own schedule. After finishing the course, join us on December 8^th from 10 a.m. to noon to hear about local watershed activities and engage in a discussion with the course instructors. Instructors are experts from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Natural Resource Institute and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

The goal is for participants to better understand and relate to riparian and watershed processes, the benefits that healthy riparian areas provide, and the tools that can be employed to prevent and/or resolve degradation and improve water quality. At the conclusion of the training, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) available:

• Texas Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicators License – 3 CEUs
• Texas Water Resources Institute – 1 CEU
• Texas Nutrient Management Planning Specialists – 6 hours
• Society of American Foresters – 8.5 hours Cat. 1
• Certified Crop Advisor- 7 CEUs (Nutrient Mgmt: 1, Soil & Water: 2.5, IPM: 1.5, Crop Mgmt: 1, Sustainability: 1)
• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners “Acceptable for HSW credit”
• The program may also be used for CEUs for Professional Engineers.
• Check with your Chapter for Master Naturalist and Master Gardener to see if it is approved for your area.

RSVP is required by December 1, 2020. RSVP online through the online form above or by email to clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu. This free workshop is made possible through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information or questions, please contact Clare Escamilla at 210-277-0292 x205 or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu.

Please join our listserv or like us on Facebook for more information on future programs!

The riparian education program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College at Texas A&M University.

Riparian, stream ecosystem workshop set for Oct. 23 in Junction

September 27, 2019

Upper Llano River. (Texas Water Resources Institute photo)

The Texas Water Resources Institute, or TWRI, will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program workshop from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 23 in Junction for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in Kimble County and surrounding counties.

The morning session will be at the Texas Tech University’s Llano River Field Station, 254 Red Raider Lane. The afternoon session will include a walk and presentations along the river.

Clare Entwistle, TWRI research associate, San Antonio, said the workshop is co-hosted locally by the Texas Tech University’s Llano River Field Station and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Kimble County.

Attendees must RSVP by Oct. 14 online at Texas A&M Marketplace or to Entwistle at 210-277-0292 ext. 205 or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu.

The program will include a lunchtime presentation. A morning coffee and pastry break and catered lunch will be provided to participants for $15.

Tom Arsuffi, director of the Llano River Field Station, said the Llano River is a spring-fed perennial river and major tributary to the Colorado River. He said the Upper Llano supports several unique plant and animal communities.

“Because of the importance of protecting and preserving this natural resource, a watershed protection plan was developed to protect the quantity and quality of the surface and groundwater in the area,” he said.

Entwistle said proper management, protection and restoration of these areas directly influences water quality and quantity, plus stabilizes stream banks and improves fish and aquatic habitats and communities.

“The goal of the workshop is for participants to better understand riparian and watershed processes, the benefits of healthy riparian areas and what resources are available to prevent degradation while improving water quality,” she said.

Entwistle said program funding is provided through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Taryn Titsworth, AgriLife Extension agent for Kimble County, said participants will receive a certificate of completion and appropriate continuing education unit certificates at the conclusion of the training.

The workshop offers many types of continuing education units, including three units — two general and one integrated pest management — for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders.

It also offers one unit from the TWRI, seven credits from Texas Floodplain Management Association, seven hours for certified crop advisors, seven hours from the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying and six hours for Texas Nutrient Management Planning specialists.

The program may also be used for continuing education units for professional engineers.

The riparian education program is managed by TWRI, which is part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

For more information, contact Entwistle or visit http://texasriparian.org or go to Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation.

Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program – South Houston

April 23, 2019
8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Agenda
Register for Workshop

John Hargrove Environmental Nature Center
5800 Magnolia St,
Pearland, TX 77584

This workshop is being co-hosted by the Texas Community Watershed Partners, the City of Pearland, Houston Advanced Research Center, the AgriLife Extension Office in Brazoria County, and the Texas Water Resources Institute. The training will focus on natural design processes for stream restoration projects. Materials delivered in the training will help attendees understand:

• Urban stream functions,
• Impacts of development on urban streams,
• Recognize healthy versus degraded stream systems,
• Assess and classify a stream using the Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI), and
• Comprehend differences between natural and traditional restoration techniques.

Information including the hydrologic cycle, basics to stream morphology, stream classification, stream instability, stream restoration, stabilization structure, vegetation, and monitoring and evaluation will be explained through classroom-style teaching in the morning session and hands-on activities in the field at a nearby stream in the afternoon sessions.

Continuing Education Units Available:

• Texas Water Resources Institute  – 1 CEU
• Texas Nutrient Management Planning Specialists – 6 hours
• Certified Crop Advisor- 7 CEUs (Nutrient Mgmt: 1, Soil & Water: 2.5, IPM: 1, Sustainability: 2.5)
• Texas Floodplain Management Association – 6 CECs
• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners “Acceptable for HSW credit”
• The program may also be used for CEUs for Professional Engineers
• Check with your Chapter for Master Naturalist and Master Gardener to see if it is approved for your area.

Registration is limited to the first 40 people. Cost is $100 and includes all training materials, a catered lunch, and a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Registration is required by April 19, 2019. Register online through the link above, or if paying by check or PO by email to clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu. Lunch from Jason’s Deli will be provided to participants or they may bring their own.

Dress is casual and comfortable, hip boots/waders are required for the hands on field assessment as we will be out in the creek in the afternoon.

Please join our listserv or like us on Facebook for more information on future programs! The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research,  AgriLife Extension and the College at Texas A&M University. It is funded through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Riparian and Stream Ecosystems – Bandera County Watersheds

March 6, 2019
8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Agenda
RSVP

Recreation Hall at Mansfield Park
355 W A Mansfield Rd,
Bandera, TX 78003 

This workshop is being co-hosted by the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Bandera County, and the Texas Water Resources Institute. The training will focus on the nature and function of stream and riparian zones and the benefits and direct impacts from healthy riparian zones. The program will cover an introduction to riparian principles, watershed processes, basic hydrology, erosion/deposition principles, and riparian vegetation, as well as potential causes of degradation and possible resulting impairment(s), and available local resources including technical assistance and tools that can be employed to prevent and/or resolve degradation.

Currently, the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District is actively involved in the Clean Rivers Program in the Medina and Sabinal River Basins, partnering with San Antonio River Authority and Nueces River Authority. The district also maintains in-house surface water quality programs for Bandera County, focusing on recreational sites in the county, including Medina Lake. The BCRAGD, along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department collaborate with county landowners to remove and control Arundo Donax. Additionally, the district operates an illegal dumping litter abatement program to protect local streams as well as groundwater resources. It is also currently active in expanding early flood warning systems through the technical assistance of the U.S. Geological Survey and funds provided by the Texas Water Development Board and local partners.

These one-day trainings in watersheds across the state include both indoor classroom presentations and outdoor stream walks. Instructors are experts from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Natural Resource Institute, and the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District.

The goal is for participants to better understand and relate to riparian and watershed processes, the benefits that healthy riparian areas provide, and the tools that can be employed to prevent and/or resolve degradation and improve water quality. At the conclusion of the training, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Continuing Education Units Available:

• Texas Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicators License – 3 CEUs
• Texas Water Resources Institute  – 1 CEU
• Texas Nutrient Management Planning Specialists – 6 hours
• Texas Floodplain Management Association – 7 CECs
• Certified Crop Advisor- 7 CEUs (Nutrient Mgmt: 1, Soil & Water: 1.5, IPM: 1.5, Crop Mgmt: 2.5, Manure Mgmt: 0.5) (NEW)
• Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying – 7 hours (NEW)
• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners “Acceptable for HSW credit”
• The program may also be used for CEUs for Professional Engineers.
• Check with your Master Naturalist and Master Gardener chapters to see if it is approved for your area.

RSVP is required by March 1, 2019. RSVP online through the marketplace at 

http://bit.ly/2Wxsh3g or by email to clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu. This workshop is free because the program is funded through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District is sponsoring a catered lunch or participants may select to bring their own lunch. Dress is casual and comfortable for the weather as we will be outside along the river during the afternoon.

For more information or questions, please contact Clare Entwistle at 210-277-0292 x205 or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu

Please join our listserv or like us on Facebook for more information on future programs! The riparian education program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of AgriLife Research,  AgriLife Extension and the College at Texas A&M University

Riparian, stream ecosystem workshop set for Nov. 6 in San Antonio

October 16, 2018

Contacts: Clare Entwistle, 210-277-0292 ext. 205, Clare.Entwistle@ag.tamu.edu

Aarin Teague, 210-302-3660, ateague@sara-tx.org

SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Water Resources Institute, or TWRI, will host a Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program workshop from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 6 in San Antonio for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Medina River watershed.

The San Antonio River. (Texas Water Resources Institute photo)

The workshop is free and open to the public.

The morning session will be at the Mays Family Scout Ranch, 3445 Fest Rd. The afternoon session will include a walk and presentations along the Medina River.

Clare Entwistle, TWRI research associate in San Antonio, said the workshop is co-hosted locally by the San Antonio River Authority and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County.

Attendees must RSVP by Nov. 1 online at http://bit.ly/2A03VGn  or contact Entwistle at 210-277-0292, ext. 205, or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu.

The program will include a lunchtime presentation. The San Antonio River Authority is sponsoring a catered lunch, or participants may bring their own lunch.

Aarin Teague, senior engineer at the San Antonio River Authority, said the Medina River watershed drains some 1,112 square miles through parts of Bandera, Medina and Bexar counties.

“The Medina River is an important water resource providing recharge to groundwater sources, water resources for human use, and recreation throughout these counties,” Teague said. “To help ensure the Medina River and its associated ecological, recreational and economic values are available for current and future generations, the San Antonio River Authority is supporting efforts in the watershed to work with private landowners to promote management practices that result in conservation of this valuable resource.”

Entwistle said proper management, protection and restoration of these areas directly influences water quality and quantity, plus stabilizes stream banks and improves fish and aquatic habitats and communities.

“The goal of the workshop is for participants to better understand riparian and watershed processes, the benefits of healthy riparian areas and what resources are available to prevent degradation while improving water quality,” she said.

Entwistle said the institute is able to offer the workshop without cost thanks to program funding provided through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Entwistle said participants will receive a certificate of completion and appropriate continuing education unit certificates at the conclusion of the training.

The workshop offers many types of continuing education units, including three units — two general and one integrated pest management — for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders. It offers one unit from the Texas Water Resources Institute, seven credits from Texas Floodplain Management Association, seven hours for Certified Crop Advisors, seven hours from the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying and six hours for Texas Nutrient Management Planning specialists. The program may also be used for continuing education units for professional engineers.

The riparian education program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

For more information, contact Entwistle or visit http://texasriparian.org or go to Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation.