The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, will host an Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Workshop on May 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Kyle.
The workshop is part of the Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program and is designed for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around the Plum Creek Watershed.
The morning session will be at the Hampton Inn, 151 Bunton Creek Road. The afternoon session will take place in and along a nearby stream to learn stream surveying techniques.
The cost is $50, which includes all training materials, a catered lunch and a certificate of completion. Attendees must register by May 21 by calling or emailing Alexander Neal, TWRI program specialist, at 979-314-2351 or Alexander.Neal@ag.tamu.edu, or registering online at tx.ag/Kyle26. Attendees are encouraged to register early, as space is limited.
Threats to water quality
“Riparian and stream degradation is a major threat to water quality, in-stream habitat, terrestrial wildlife, aquatic species and overall stream health,” said Fouad Jaber, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension program specialist and professor, Texas A&M Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Dallas.
Jaber said proper management, protection and restoration of these riparian areas will improve water quality, lower in-stream temperatures, improve aquatic habitat and ultimately improve the community integrity of aquatic organisms like macrobenthos and fish.
“The goal of the workshop is for participants to better understand urban stream functions, recognize impacts of development on urban streams, identify healthy versus degraded stream systems, assess and classify a stream using the Rosgen method, and comprehend differences between natural and traditional restoration techniques,” Jaber said.
Continuing education units
The following continuing education units will be available upon completion of the workshop:
- Certified Crop Advisors, seven hours.
- Texas Floodplain Managers, six hours.
- Texas Nutrient Management Planning specialist, six hours.
The program may also be used for continuing education units for professional engineers and architects.
Neal said TWRI can offer the workshop at a reduced cost thanks to program funding provided through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, contact Neal or visit texasriparian.org or facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation. The urban riparian stream education program is managed by TWRI, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
