Mud Creek water quality workshop set for Oct. 27 in Tyler

The free workshop, which targets improving and maintaining water quality in the Mud Creek watershed, will be held from 1-5 p.m. in the AgriLife Extension office for Smith County, 1517 W. Front St., Suite 116.

The program is open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region.

The workshop is presented in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute.

Attendees must preregister at https://tws.tamu.edu/workshops/registration/ or by calling 979-321-5921. Additional meeting information will be provided after registration.

“This workshop helps people learn about water resources and efforts to protect local water quality,” said Annalee Epps, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator of the Texas Watershed Steward program in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. “Participants will be introduced to regional watershed protection and management efforts and learn how they can get involved.”

Workshop topics and materials

The workshop will review watershed systems and the types and sources of water pollution. Participants will also discuss community-led watershed protection and management and learn how water quality relates to watershed management at the local level.Although the program emphasizes local water resources, the information and best management practices apply to waters throughout the region.

Light refreshments will be provided. Attendees will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and may earn a certificate of completion.

Continuing education opportunities

Continuing education units, CEUs, are available for several professional disciplines. The number of hours offered varies by discipline.

Four hours are available for:

• Soil and water management for certified crop advisers
• Professional engineers
• Certified teachers
• Professional geoscientists
• Certified floodplain managers
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators

Additional credits are available for:

• American Institute of Certified Planners members: four certification maintenance hours, including one law hour
• Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator license holders: three general CEUs
• Nutrient management specialists: two credits

For questions about continuing education, contact Epps at 979-321-5921 or annalee.epps@ag.tamu.edu.

Program and local contacts

For more information about the Texas Watershed Steward program, visit https://tws.tamu.edu/ or contact Epps; Clint Perkins at 903-590-2980 or ctperkins@ag.tamu.edu; or Anna Eismont at 979-314-2314 or anna.eismont@ag.tamu.edu.

Funding for the workshop is provided through a federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) nonpoint source grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.