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The Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership was formed in 2010 to restore and protect water quality in the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed due to elevated levels of bacteria and nitrate-nitrogen.
The Partnership completed a Watershed Protection Plan in 2012 and is now working toward full implementation. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform and engage local stakeholders in helping to improve and protect the quality of water in Geronimo and Alligator Creeks. For more information about the project visit our website: www.geronimocreek.org
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Workshop to Focus on Water Quality Jan 26 in Seguin
A Texas Watershed Steward workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26th, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Guadalupe County Extension Office, 210 East Live Oak Street in Seguin.
The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership.
The training is free and open to anyone interested in learning about water quality, said program coordinators. Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.
The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will also focus on area water quality issues, including current and future efforts to help improve and protect Geronimo and Alligator Creeks.
The training will include a discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.
Attendees of the training will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available for professional geoscientists licensed by the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists. It also offers three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, four for certified landscape architects, and three for certified floodplain managers. Lastly, four continuing education credits are offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators.
Residents are encouraged to attend the workshop to gain more information about water resources and water quality improvement and protection.
For more information and to preregister, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Michael Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; Travis Franke at 830-303-3889, t-franke@tamu.edu; or Ward Ling at 979-845-6980, wling@tamu.edu.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Geronimo Creek downstream from the SH123 crossing.
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4th Annual Creek Clean Up Event April 2
Planning has begun for the 4th Annual Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Clean Up Event scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd. Take a moment to pencil in the date, as more information will be coming out in the coming weeks.
The event is coordinated by the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Partnership as part of implementation efforts for the watershed protection plan.
As a volunteer, you can help protect Geronimo and Alligator Creeks by collecting trash from several target areas that drain to the creeks. The day will begin at 9am when volunteers begin to arrive at area locations for breakfast tacos, event T-shirts, safety instructions, and clean up supplies.
If you have your own gloves or pick up tools, bring them and dress appropriately for the weather. Trash bags and a limited supply of gloves and pick-up tools will be available. You are invited to participate to whatever extent your schedule will allow, but the event is usually completed by noon.
Last year’s event was a great success, with 195 volunteers collecting 2,000 pounds of trash and debris. Twenty-two areas were cleaned up including roadways that cross the creeks, the large detention pond behind The Town Center at Creekside, and 17 miles of roadways and creek banks. We want the 2016 event to clean up even more areas than last year.
It would not be possible without the support from our sponsors and volunteers. Funds donated by sponsors will go directly to pay for the event T-shirts and breakfast items. Clean up tools and supplies are provided courtesy of Keep Texas Beautiful.
The list of sponsors for last year's event included: Alamo Group, Continental, Corona Visions Inc, Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District , Geronimo Creek Retreat, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Guadalupe Valley Young Marines, HEB, Progressive Waste Solutions, The Cities of Seguin and New Braunfels, Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Liz Sedlacek, and Ehlers Tree Farm. If you would like to be a sponsor, simply contact Ward Ling at 979-845-6980 or wling@tamu.edu for information.
Anyone wishing to participate in the cleanup may register online by going to http://www.geronimocreek.org/ and clicking on the registration form under the Clean Up announcement or contact Ling at 979-845-6980 or wling@ag.tamu.edu.
Volunteers can include teams organized by the sponsors and neighborhood groups, as well as individual citizens who are concerned about the welfare of the creeks.
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Some of the volunteers from the 2015 Creek Clean Up event.
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Soil Testing Campaign a Success!
In the fall of 2015, the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Partnership facilitated a soil testing campaign for area landowners. The campaign was kicked off the end of October, with a deadline to submit samples by November 17th. Notice of the campaign was provided through emails to Partnership members, press releases, and notice through the County offices. As a result, one hundred and sixty-nine soil samples were submitted through the Guadalupe and Comal Counties AgriLife Extension offices. The Texas A&M Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory analyzed the samples and results were returned to landowners at a program December 8 in Seguin. Dr. Jake Mowrer, Assistant Professor-Soil Nutrient & Water Resource Management from College Station, provided educational training on how to interpret the lab results and what it meant for each landowner in terms of fertilizer applications. Having the knowledge of the nutrient content of their soil, landowners are more likely to only apply the necessary amount of nutrients, which can save money, time, and benefit the crop, lawn, or pasture. Due to the success of the soil testing campaign, we plan to have a repeat campaign in the fall of 2016.
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Testing your soil will tell you how much fertilizer, if any, needs to be applied, potentially saving you time, money, and improving your lawn, pasture, or crop.
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A Clean Water Act grant was provided to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Protection Plan.
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