Oso Creek and Land Stewardship Workshop
By: Jason P. Ott, CEA-Ag/NR
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Nueces County
The Nueces River Authority, the Oso Creek Partnership, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension have teamed up to offer a riparian workshop on protecting our waterways on Tuesday August 30th from 9am-3pm at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center, 10345 Hwy 44, Corpus Christ. The workshop will focus on the critical role the land along the banks of a stream, known as the riparian area, play in water quality and protecting our water resources.
President Johnson is credited with saying, “conservation starts were the first raindrop falls”, since no one knows where that is at learning about protecting our waterways is everyone’s responsibility. During the workshop key lessons on managing the land resources around waterways will be taught that will be good for all stakeholders along Oso Creek, from its headwaters to the Bay.
The program will feature Steve Nelle, retired Natural Resource Conservation Service Range Specialist, who is highly respected expert in the area of watershed management. Sky Lewey, Resource Protection and Education Director for the Nueces River Authority, will also present at the workshop which will include both classroom and in the field activities.
Riparian is a term for the important strip land area that flanks our streams and rivers and is critical for preserving water quality. The workshop will teach participants how this area can clean and store water, how degraded creeks can repair themselves, and the environmental benefits rural creeks provide. Participants with Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide licenses will also be eligible for continuous education units (CEUs) towards their pesticide license renewal.
This workshop is free to attend, however, a fee of $10 will be charged to those who wish to take part in the catered lunch. More information about this program can be found at RemarkableRiparian.org or by calling 830-278-6810 or email slewey@nueces-ra.org.