May 3, 2022

Focus on minimizing feral hog, livestock contamination in the watershed

Group of young brown cows on the edge of a ditch, relaxed lying and standing in the field, a wide view

Multi watershed event will host a Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop on June 1 at The Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center 390 Cordova Road, Seguin.

The workshop is a joint effort with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

The free program will run from 8 a.m.-to 1 p.m., with an optional Pork Steak lunch for $15, to be paid at registration.

Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits for pesticide applicators are available in the Integrated Pest Management category.

Preregistration is required –> CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The program will focus on the Plum Creek watershed, Geronimo and Alligator Creeks watershed, and Mid & Lower Cibolo Creek watershed and will discuss basic watershed function, water quality and specific best management practices that can be implemented to help minimize bacterial contamination originating from livestock and feral hogs. 

Watershed Partnership

This will be a multi-watershed program that will identify issues common to the Plum Creek, Geronimo and Alligator Creeks, and Mid/Lower Cibolo Creek watersheds.  The event is being held in Seguin, which is central to the three watersheds.  All three of these watersheds are impaired for contact recreation due to elevated bacteria concentrations. Stakeholders in each of the watersheds developed Watershed Protection Plans that contain voluntary measures to reduce pollution from entering the creeks. The ultimate goal of all three watersheds is to improve and protect water quality in these creeks for present and future generations of Texans.

Lone Star Healthy Streams Program

“The goal of the Lone Star Healthy Streams program is to educate Texas livestock producers and landowners about how to best protect Texas waterways from bacterial contamination associated with beef cattle, sheep, goats and feral hogs,” said Leanne Wiley, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Lone Star Healthy Streams instructor, Bryan-College Station.

Funding for this effort is provided through a Clean Water Act Section 319 nonpoint source grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on the workshop, contact Wiley at 979-318-2617 or leanne.wiley@ag.tamu.edu;  Christina Lopez with Plum Creek at 830-557-7358 or  clopez@plumcreekwatershed.org;  Evgenia Spears with Geronimo and Alligator Creeks at 979-845-2862 or geronimo.alligator@ag.tamu.edu Ward Ling with Lower Cibolo Creek at 979-314-2472 or ward.ling@ag.tamu.edu;

To learn more about the partnership’s implementation efforts and download digital copies of the each Watershed Protection Plan, visit the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership; Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed; and Mid & Lower Cibolo Creek Watershed