Texas Riparian & Stream Ecosystem Training – Bandera County Watersheds
Riparian and Stream Ecosystems – Bandera County Watersheds
March 6, 2019
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
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