to feature Medina River watershed project, restoring health of land and vegetation
The Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, invites stakeholders to a public meeting on implementation of the Medina River Below Diversion Lake Watershed Protection Plan, WPP, on Jan. 22 in Castroville.
The meeting will be from 1-3 p.m. at the Braden Keller Community Center, 1410 Amelia St.
Light refreshments will be provided.
“This meeting will highlight progress on the Riparian Restoration Demonstration Project in Castroville Regional Park, an important component of implementing the WPP,” said Mary Michael Zahed, TWRI program specialist, San Antonio. “Restoring degraded vegetated areas along the river, known as riparian zones, is one of our priorities.”
Meeting highlights-Local residents, landowners, city and county officials, nonprofit partners, and all interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
The agenda will feature a guest presentation by Clay Thompson, director of conservation and stewardship, Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, on how the alliance supports the WPP through land conservation, community engagement and education.
Stakeholders will also be invited to participate in the design of a Medina River WPP logo.
“Our progress depends on collaboration,” Zahed said. “Every voice at the table helps strengthen the watershed protection plan and ensures we move forward with strategies that benefit both the river and the people who rely on it.”
Watershed basics-A common question is what a watershed is, Zahed said. A watershed is an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody. All bodies of water have a watershed, and every person lives in a watershed.
Residents in the region can visit medina.twri.tamu.edu and use the watershed boundary map to find out if they live in the Medina River Below Diversion Lake Watershed. Even if they live outside the boundary, anyone interested in supporting the health and water quality of the Medina River is considered a stakeholder and is welcome to participate.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
TWRI is a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Zahed at mary.lipfordzahed@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8092.