The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will present a Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation Workshop Nov. 16 in Austin.
The workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the LCRA Dalchau Service Center, 3503 Montopolis Drive.
This workshop is for licensed landscape irrigation professionals, water professionals, water conservation coordinators and homeowners, said Daphne Richards, AgriLife Extension agent for horticulture in Travis County.
“Irrigators who complete this workshop will be allowed to conduct irrigation evaluations for customers on behalf of LCRA,” Richards said.
LCRA and retail water providers offer free landscape irrigation system evaluations to customers as part of the water authority’s WaterSmart program.
“These evaluations can help make irrigation systems more efficient, saving water and money,” Richards said.
Program coordinators also noted an evaluated irrigation system is eligible for up to $350 in rebates for water-saving equipment such as pressure-reducing sprinkler heads, nozzles, soil moisture sensors and rain sensors.
The program offers four Texas Commission on Environmental Quality irrigation license continuing education units.
Topics to be addressed during the workshop include controller settings and troubleshooting, flagging irrigation issues and record keeping, identifying efficiency measures to improve irrigation performance, conservation and water-saving measures, seasonal water budgets, using irrigation technology, and irrigation and maintenance of drought-stressed trees.
Presenters include Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension program specialist with the Texas A&M School of Irrigation, and Brad Hamel, regional urban forester with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Cost is $60 through Nov. 7 and $75 thereafter. Registration includes lunch. Attendees are asked to register by Nov. 16.
For more information, contact LCRA water conservation coordinator Brett Briant at 512.578.4775 or brett.briant@lcra.org, or Richards at 512.854.9600 or drichards@ag.tamu.edu.
Read the full AgriLife Today news release.