Riparian & Stream Ecosystems – Tres Palacios Creek and Lower Colorado River Watersheds
May 8, 2018
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Matagorda County Nature and Birding Center
1025 TX-35
Bay City, TX 77414 (map)
This workshop is being co-hosted by the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Colorado River Land Trust, the AgriLife Extension Office in Matagorda 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 riparian education programs 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.
The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) designated the tidal portion of the Tres Palacios Creek watershed as an impaired waterbody due to the elevated bacterial concentrations found there. To combat this issue, a total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plan and a watershed protection plan were developed in this area to reduce bacterial pollution and improve the overall water quality of the watershed.
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 Natural Resource Institute, Texas Water Resources 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 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 Chapter for Master Naturalist and Master Gardener to see if it is approved for your area.
RSVP is required by May 4, 2018. RSVP online through the TAMU marketplace link 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.
A catered lunch sponsored by the Lower Colorado River Authority and Colorado River Land Trust is available for participants or participants may select to bring their own lunch. Please make sure to choose your lunch option during the RSVP process.
Dress is casual and comfortable for the weather as we will be outside along the banks of the Lower Colorado river during the afternoon.
For more information or questions, please contact Clare Entwistle at 210-277-0292 x205 or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu
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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.
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