As part of its annual conference series and its Initiative for Watershed Excellence program, the River Systems Institute will host Land, Water, People 2009 on Nov. 16-18 at the San Marcos Conference Center.

The most recent issue of The Association of Former Students’ True Maroon online magazine features the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). The article, titled “More than a Drop in the Bucket,” discusses TWRI’s collaborative projects throughout the state, including projects in the Rio Grande Valley, Fort Hood, and Lake Granbury.

Sponsored by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6, a Key EPA Internet Tools course will be conducted by the Texas Water Resources Institute on Nov. 19 at the River Systems Institute in San Marcos. The course is a comprehensive, two-part course designed to familiarize users with watershed management tools provided online by EPA.

For more information, visit the EPA Web site. To register, see the Water Education Web site or contact Courtney Swyden at CMSwyden@ag.tamu.edu.

Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) is pleased to announce the recent addition of Dr. Amanda Engledow as a project manager. Engledow earned her bachelor’s in bioenvironmental science in 2001 and her doctorate in plant pathology in 2006, both from Texas A&M University. She previously held a postdoctoral position in A&M’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, working with Dr. Terry Gentry.

Texas Water Resources Institute will be sponsoring a meeting titled “Funding Your Water Program: One-on-One with Water Agencies” on Jan. 11, 2010, as part of the annual Texas A&M AgriLife conference. The tentative time for the interactive session is 1-4:30 p.m., and the location will be announced at a later date.

This workshop is for research and Extension faculty from Texas AgriLife as well as other universities with interest and expertise in developing collaborative water research and Extension programs. Key state and federal water agency personnel will discuss the agency roles, research and education needs, collaboration opportunities, and available funding programs.

H2O4TEXAS: The Water Event, sponsored by Sen. Kip Averitt and Rep. Allen Ritter, will be at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, Nov. 16-17. The event aims to increase public awareness of the critical water shortfalls facing Texas and begin mobilizing support for full implementation of the State Water Plan. The ongoing H2O4TEXAS campaign plans to continue pursuing this goal before and after The Water Event.

Dr. Robert Glennon, author of the book Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What To Do About It, is the featured speaker. For more information and registration, visit the H2O4TEXAS Web site.

Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) will host the Modeling of Water Distribution Systems using EPANet course on Dec. 9-11 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Urban Solutions Center in Dallas.

Texas Water Resources Institute’s Water Resources Training Courses program went on the road in September, hosting Getting in Step Workshops in Houston, Austin, and Dallas.

Texas Water Resources Institute has released the latest edition of its txH2O magazine, published three times per year. This issue features information on environmental flows, Texas A&M AgriLife researchers, and innovative in-home conservation tips.

The third Texas Watershed Planning Short Course was held Aug. 17-21 at the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, with more than 44 water professionals attending. The course is sponsored by the Texas Water Resources Institute and funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Texas Recycles Day, held on Nov. 15 of each year, is a statewide public awareness campaign educating Texans about the environmental and economic benefits of waste reduction and recycling. It served as the model for the development of America Recycles Day. Texas Recycles Day is working in cooperation with the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR), formerly known as the Recycling Alliance of Texas, to give all Texas communities access to America Recycles Day materials and resources. For free recycling graphics and downloads, visit the Texas Recycles Day Web site.

Texas Watershed Steward Handbook: A Water Resource Training Curriculum, Economic and Financial Methodology for South Texas Irrigation Projects–RGIDECON©, and upcoming training course information.