The Lone Star Healthy Streams program and local conservation partners will offer a free land stewardship and water resource protection education for residents in the Big Elm Creek watershed on Sept. 17 in Temple.
The Big Elm Creek watershed covers 305 square miles in Central Texas across Bell, Milam, Falls, and McLennan counties. Any landowners and residents with rural lands interested in land and water resource management are encouraged to attend.
Event information
The event will offer free soil testing, technical and financial assistance along with educational training on land and water stewardship.
The free event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Blackland Research and Extension Center, 720 East Blackland Road, Temple. Pre-registration includes lunch.
“The Lone Star Healthy Streams education component aims to increase awareness of surface water pollution in rural watersheds,” said Leanne Jackson, AgriLife Extension program specialist and LSHS coordinator, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station. “It promotes land and water stewardship and encourages implementation of proven best management practices.”
In addition, this event will include guest speakers from AgriLife Extension, the Texas Water Resources Institute, and the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board on principles of land stewardship, soil health, and participants will have opportunity to build out an operation specific management plan.
Please RSVP to the Bell County AgriLife office for Megan Cline at 254-933-5305 or meagan.cline@ag.tamu.edu
On the agenda
The educational meeting will offer one General Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit.
The topics to be covered include:
- Watersheds, water quality and grazing livestock best management practices — Jackson.
- Big Elm Creek Watershed Protection Plan update — Matt Stellbauer, Texas Water Resources Institute watershed coordinator, Bryan-College Station.
- Principles of Land Stewardship and Building a Management Plan – Chase Brooke, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program specialist, Stephenville.
- Water and Soil Quality and Conservation — Brian Kock, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Wharton.
Soil sampling instructions
The LSHS program will also cover the cost of two soil samples per attendee. Soil sample testing should be from pasture, hay or rangeland areas.
Soil sampling instructions are found on the soil submittal form at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory website or ask any AgriLife Extension county agent for guidance.
Soil samples should be brought to the education meeting at Blackland Research and Extension Center, 720 East Blackland Road, Temple. Samples will be transported to the lab courtesy of LSHS.
For more information, contact Megan Cline at meagan.cline@ag.tamu.edu or 254-933-5305, or Jackson at leanne.jackson@ag.tamu.edu or 979-321-5950, or Matt Stellbaurer at Matt.Stellbauer@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8115
