Water quality training in San Angelo will focus on Concho River
Training to address issues of water quality, quantity

By Paul Schattenberg paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu 210-467-6575

Contacts
Galen Roberts, 979-862-8070 or galen.roberts@ag.tamu.edu
Steven Sturtz, 325-659-6524, s-sturtz@tamu.edu
Christy Youker, 325-617-4350, christy@ucratx.org




SAN ANGELO – A free Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality and
availability related to the Concho River will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March
23 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 7887 U.S. Highway 87,
north of in San Angelo.

The training is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in
the Concho River, coordinators said. Participants are encouraged to preregister
at http://tws.tamu.edu.

The workshop is presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas
State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the Upper Colorado
River Authority.



“The workshop is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect
their water resources by becoming involved in local watershed protection and
management activities,” said Steve Sturtz, AgriLife Extension agent for
agriculture and natural resources in Tom Green County.

Sturtz said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed
management in Texas, and primarily will focus on water quality issues relating
to the Concho River, including current efforts to help improve and protect this
important water source. There also will be discussion of watershed systems,
types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water
quality, as well as discussion on community-driven watershed protection and
management.

“Surface water in the Concho River is a critical source of water in the
area,” said Dr. Christy Youker with Upper Colorado River Authority. “The
river’s tributaries supply Twin Buttes and OC Fisher lakes, both sources of
drinking water for San Angelo residents.” .

Youker said the Concho River has been on the state list of impaired waters since
2008 for elevated levels of bacteria and low dissolved oxygen concentrations.

“With the development of a watershed protection plan for the Concho and the
establishment of a partnership with the City of San Angelo, UCRA has been
addressing water quality issues in these water bodies more aggressively than
ever before,” Youker said. More information on these efforts can be found at
http://ucratx.org .

“Along with the free training, participants receive a free copy of the Texas
Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion,” said Galen
Roberts, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Texas Watershed Steward
program coordinator in College Station.

The program also offers seven continuing education units in soil and water
management for certified crop advisers, seven units for professional engineers
and certified planners, and seven continuing education credits for certified
teachers. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas
Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, seven for certified
landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers.

“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity
to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Roberts.

For more information go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Roberts at
979-862-8070 or groberts@ag.tamu.edu. Locally, contact Sturtz at 325-659-6524,
s-sturtz@tamu.edu .

For more information about the river authority’s watershed improvement
efforts, contact Youker at 325-617-4350, christy@ucratx.org.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act §319(h)
nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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