Septic system replacements due to maintenance failures can cost thousands of dollars. Learn the basics of operating and maintaining your septic system now!
Free virtual workshop courtesy of Plum Creek Watershed Partnership and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Join us virtually on Microsoft Teams. No download necessary. The workshop link will be sent out following the registration deadline.
Rainwater Harvesting and Turf Management Training set for August 10, 2026
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service‘s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training on August 10, 2026, for Hays County.
The free event will be at the San Marcos Public Library, 625 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos, Texas, August 10, from 1:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m.
Attendees who RSVP to the event will receive updates and materials related to the training via email. They can RSVP online or contact John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station, at john.smith@ag.tamu.edu or 979-204-0573 with any questions.
The training is offered in collaboration with the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership.
“The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program aims to improve and protect surface water quality by enhancing awareness and knowledge of best management practices for residential landscapes,” Smith said.
On the agenda
John Smith, AgriLife Extension Specialist, College Station, said attendees will learn about the design and installation of residential rainwater harvesting systems as well as appropriate turf and landscape species based on local conditions and other practices.
“Management practices such as using irrigation delivery equipment, interpreting soil test results and understanding nutrient applications can help reduce runoff and make efficient use of applied landscape irrigation water,” Smith said.
Dean Minchillo, Texas Water Resources Institute program specialist in Dallas, said “Proper fertilizer application and efficient lawn irrigation can protect and improve water quality in area creeks, and collecting rainwater for lawn and landscape needs reduces stormwater runoff.”
Soil testing
Participants can have their soil tested as part of the training. The soil sample bag and analysis are free to Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program participants.
Residents can pick up a soil sample bag with sampling instructions and the Urban and Homeowner Soil Sample Information Form at the AgriLife Extension office in Hays County, 200 Stillwater Road Suite 102, Wimberley, Texas. Bags containing residents’ soil samples should be returned to the location where they were obtained prior to or by one week after the training, soil samples may also be brought to the training where we will have soil bags to transfer the sample into. Please do not mail the soil sample to the lab.
Samples will be grouped into one submission and sent to the AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab in College Station for routine analysis, including micronutrients, pH, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen, and other parameters.
The training will include information on how to understand soil test results and nutrient recommendations so residents can interpret results once the analysis is mailed to them.
Funding for the Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is provided in part by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through a Clean Water Act § 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project 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.
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting an upcoming event August 4-5 to allow residents to have their well water screened: the “Well Educated” water well screening will be held at the Demonstration Barn at the Luling Foundation.
Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, College Station, said the Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs.
“The TWON program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment,” he said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity. Well owners are encouraged to bring water samples from all of the wells on their property and before and after any water treatment systems that may be attached to the wells.
Water sampling and meeting information
— Caldwell County: Tuesday, August 4th, water samples can be dropped off from 8:30-11 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Caldwell County, 1403 Blackjack Street, Suite B, Lockhart or the Plum Creek Conservation District, 1101 W. San Antonio Street, Lockhart or the Luling Foundation Farm, 523 Mulberry Ave, Luling. There will be a $15 per sample cost for the water well screening.
— Hays County: Tuesday, August 4th, water samples can be dropped off from 8:30-11 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Hays County, 200 Stillwater Road, Suite 102, Wimberley. There will be a $15 per sample cost for the water well screening.
The follow-up educational program will be from 8:30 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5th at the Luling Foundation Demonstration Barn, 523 Mulberry Avenue, Luling. Topics covered will include: water well basics, water well’s 101, septic systems, watwellsuality and sample results.
Learn about the hydrologic cycle as well as the basics of stream morphology, classification, instability, and restoration during the Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Training.
$50 includes all training materials, catered lunch, and certificate of completion
🔗 Register by May 20, 2026, at https://tamu.estore.flywire.com/products/kyle2026
🎓Continuing Education Units available for Texas Nutrient Management Planning Specialists, Texas Floodplain Management Association, Certified Crop Advisor, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, and Professional Engineers.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership are offering a free virtual workshop for on-site sewage systems for homeowners. This workshop will be held from 11 AM to 1 PM on April 20, 2026, virtually through Microsoft Teams.
On-site sewage systems, or home septic systems, treat wastewater for residential systems. This workshop covers the basics of operating and maintaining your septic system. Topics include health and safety considerations, basic care, and general maintenance.
The workshop is offered as a component of the Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan.
The protection plan was developed and implemented by the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership, a collaborative effort by local stakeholders, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to protect and restore water quality within the Plum Creek watershed. The Plum Creek watershed spans across portions of Caldwell, Hays, and Travis Counties. To register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/57u3zrjb. Registration closes on March 31, 2026. Participants will be sent a link after registering. No software download is required.
For questions, contact Sierra Murray, Plum Creek Watershed Coordinator, at 830-557-7358 or smurray@gbra.org.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Plum Creek Watershed Partnership invites the community to learn more about the watershed and connect with local organizations during the Plum Creek Watershed Open House. This community-wide, family-friendly event will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Lockhart State Park Recreation Hall, located at 2012 State Park Rd., Lockhart, Texas 78644.
This free event will feature booths from community organizations offering relevant resources, educational information, crafting activities, and free food. Attendees will receive free entry into Lockhart State Park and a chance to win door prizes!
Thank you to our sponsors, Kleinfelder and Caldwell-Travis SWCD!
The Texas Watershed Steward program is a free, educational workshop designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by getting involved in local watershed protection and management activities.
The workshop will provide an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, including a discussion on the Geronimo, Alligator, and Plum Creek watersheds. Best management practices that local stakeholders may use to help improve and protect their water quality will be highlighted. Free continuing education credits/CEUs are offered for a wide variety of professional disciplines.
5 CEUs offered for TDA Private, Commercial, and Non-commercial applicators
Early Registration $70 | Lunch provided
On-Site Registration $95 | Bring Your Own Lunch