Water quality training November 7 in Decatur

Water quality training November 7 in Decatur to focus on Eagle Mountain Lake watershed

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Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu
Karen Brown, 940-627-3341, khbrown@ag.tamu.edu
Sarah Grella, 817-720-4419, sarah.grella@trwd.com

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DECATUR, Texas – A joint event including a Texas Watershed Steward workshop and Eagle Mountain Watershed stakeholder meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November 7. The event will be held at the Decatur Conference Center, located at 2010 US-380 in Decatur and will include information on water quality and watershed management in Texas and in the Eagle Mountain Lake watershed.  The Eagle Mountain Watershed Stakeholder meeting will run from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and feature an update on partnerships, programs, and activities related to the Eagle Mountain Lake Watershed Protection Plan.  The Texas Watershed Steward workshop will be held 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and be presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD).  A free lunch will be provided for attendees that preregister by November 1st, or when capacity is reached.  “This workshop is designed to assist watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in Eagle Mountain Lake water quality management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, College Station. “The workshop, lunch, and professional continuing education credits are all free and open to anyone interested in protecting water quality in the region.
Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at https://tws.tamu.edu.

A discussion on watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality will be included in the program. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.  “The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will focus primarily on local water quality initiatives, including current efforts to help improve and protect Eagle Mountain Lake,” said Karen Brown, AgriLife Extension secretary for Wise County. “It will address local water resources but will be applicable to all waters in the region.”

“Lakes can be susceptible to the negative effects of nonpoint source pollution, such as runoff containing sediment, nutrients, and bacteria,” said Sarah Grella, Watershed Coordinator for the TRWD. “To address nonpoint source pollution, a watershed protection plan for Eagle Mountain Lake, which is being updated to reflect the most current needs of the watershed and encompassing community, was developed through a stakeholder-driven process. Therefore, we encourage all members of the public to register and attend this free workshop and stakeholder meeting to learn about water quality management and become involved.”  Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The Texas Watershed Steward program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers, and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available
for professional geoscientists.  In addition, three general continuing education units are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and four for certified landscape architects. Four continuing education credits are provided to certified floodplain managers. Four continuing education credits are also offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers, and landscape irrigators.  “Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” Brown said.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act §319(h) nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program and to preregister, go to the TWS website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; or Brown at 940-627-3341, khbrown@ag.tamu.edu.

For more information about watershed protection efforts for the Eagle Mountain Lake watershed, contact Grella at 817-720-4419, sarah.grella@trwd.com.

2019 Eagle Mountain Lake Parade of Lights

SEML, West Bay Marina, Eagle Mountain Landing Cafe & Bar, Harbor One Marina, The Lakehouse and TowBoat US Eagle Mountain Lake & Boatworx are hosting the 2019 Parade of Lights on November 30th.