Watershed Planning Short Course

Project photo

Comprehensive watershed protection plans that outline ways to preserve or restore watersheds are the accepted approach to protecting Texas surface waters. Using a watershed approach to restore impaired water bodies addresses the problems in a holistic manner and stakeholders in the watershed are actively involved in developing the management strategies and plans.

Proper training of watershed coordinators and water professionals is needed to ensure that watershed protection efforts are adequately planned, coordinated and implemented and results are properly assessed and reported.

The Texas Watershed Planning Short Course project is a weeklong course that provides information on stakeholder coordination and in-depth analysis of the Environmental Protection Agency’s nine elements of a watershed protection plan. The course also includes information and case studies examples about data collection and analysis and the tools available for plan development, education and outreach related to water quality. The course promotes sustainable proactive approaches to managing water quality throughout the state.

Objectives

  • Develop and conduct three weeklong watershed planning short courses focused on developing each of the nine key elements of a watershed protection plan
  • Conduct one weeklong Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (AFG) short course

Accomplishments

  • Held AFG course Jan. 28 - Feb.1,2008 with 44 students participating
  • Developed Watershed Protection Plan short course with first course on June 2-6, 2008
  • Developed project Web site: watershedplanning.tamu.edu

Collaborators

  • Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife
  • Texas AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas AgriLife Research
  • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  • Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • River Systems Institute — Texas State University
  • Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research

Funding Agencies

  • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency