The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host a workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 18 in Austin for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around central Texas.
The morning session will be at the Regus Austin – Barton Springs, 901 Mopac Expressway South. The afternoon session will be outdoors in and along a creek to learn stream surveying techniques.
Attendees must register by April 11 to Alexander Neal, TWRI program specialist, at 979-314-2351, Alexander.Neal@ag.tamu.edu or tx.ag/RiparianApril18. Event capacity is limited, but a waitlist will be available if capacity is reached. Registration cost is $50 and includes all training materials, a catered lunch and a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Workshop presentations will be given by representatives of the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
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 in Dallas.
He said proper management, protection and restoration of these riparian areas will improve water quality, lower in-stream temperatures, improve aquatic habitat and ultimately improve macrobenthos and fish community integrity.
“The goal of the workshop is for participants to better understand urban stream functions, impacts of development on urban streams, recognize healthy versus degraded stream systems, assess and classify a stream using the Bank Erosion Hazard Index, and comprehend differences between natural and traditional restoration techniques,” Jaber said.
Continuing education units
Neal said participants will receive a certificate of completion and appropriate continuing education unit certificates at the conclusion of the training.
He said the workshop offers many types of continuing education units. It offers seven hours for Certified Crop Advisors, six hours for Texas Floodplain Managers, and six hours for Texas Nutrient Management Planning specialists.
The program may also be used for continuing education units for professional engineers. And, Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners can check with local chapters to see if it is approved.
Neal said the institute is able to 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.
Contact Neal at 979-314-2351 or Alexander.Neal@ag.tamu.edu for more information, or visit texasriparian.org or facebook.com/TexasRiparianAssociation. The urban riparian stream education program is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
