AT: Riparian and Stream Ecosystems – Mill Creek

Millheim Harmonie Verein
4460 FM 949
Sealy, TX 77474 (map)

This workshop is being co-hosted by the Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Austin County, Texas Riparian Association (TRA), and Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). 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 Mill Creek Watershed begins in southwest Washington County and flows through Austin County to its confluence with the Brazos River. The 256,000-acre watershed contains cropland, rangeland, forest and developed land. The Mill Creek watershed is the focus of watershed planning implementation efforts by stakeholders to improve water quality, specifically elevated bacteria levels.

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, TRA, and TWRI.

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 and appropriate professional development hours/ continuing education hours.

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
Texas Floodplain Management Association – 7 CECs
Texas Forestry Association – 6 hours
Society of American Foresters – 4 hours
Certified Crop Advisor- 7 CEUs (Nutrient Mgmt: 1, Soil & Water: 1.5, IPM: 1.5, Crop Mgmt: 2.5, Manure Mgmt: 0.5)
Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying – 7 hours
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 September 24, 2021, and is free because it is funded through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. RSVP online through the marketplace or by email to clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu. A catered lunch is available for $15 or participants may select to bring their own lunch. Attendees can pay for lunch by credit card using the online link or by cash at the door.

Dress is casual and comfortable for the weather as we will be outside at the stream 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 AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.