Water stewardship starts at home

Tyler—Water is one of East Texas’ greatest natural resources, and how we conserve, protect, and manage it will help determine our region’s future. Although we are blessed with more rainfall than much of Texas, we are certainly not immune to drought, water shortages, pollution, and increasing demands on our rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. 

As our population grows and development continues, water conservation and sound water policy become more important than ever. What we do with our land today will have a lasting impact on the water available tomorrow.

Most gardeners think about water conservation in terms of irrigation, but water quality is just as important as water quantity. Everything that falls on our landscapes eventually goes somewhere. Rainwater either soaks into the ground, evaporates, or runs off into ditches, creeks, rivers, and lakes. Along the way, it can carry soil, fertilizers, pesticides, grass clippings, pet waste, and other pollutants. Even those who live miles from a creek or lake can contribute to water quality problems without realizing it.

This is where understanding watersheds becomes important. A watershed is simply an area of land that drains into a common body of water. Every acre of East Texas belongs to one, whether it is covered with forests, pastures, neighborhoods, highways, or gardens. Healthy watersheds depend on healthy soils, vegetation, and responsible land management.

Fortunately, many of the same Earth-Kind gardening practices that conserve water also protect water quality. Mulching, composting, maintaining healthy soil, reducing unnecessary fertilizer and pesticide applications, planting appropriate vegetation, and preventing erosion all help keep our waterways cleaner. Preserving trees, native vegetation, and natural drainage areas is equally important.

Water policy also plays a major role. State laws and regulations influence how water is used, protected, and managed. Understanding these policies helps landowners, gardeners, farmers, and community leaders make better decisions about protecting our shared resources.

To help East Texans better understand these issues, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute, will offer a free Texas Watershed Steward workshop on Tuesday, October 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Conference Room, 1517 W. Front St., Suite 116, in Tyler.

The workshop will cover watershed science, water pollution, Texas water laws and regulations, and practical ways to improve water quality. Special attention will be given to the Mud Creek watershed and other local water resources. Participants will also learn how individuals and communities can become involved in protecting their watersheds.

Attendees will receive a Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and may qualify for professional continuing education credits. Advance registration is required at tws.tamu.edu or by calling 979-321-5921.

Whether you own a small backyard or hundreds of acres, protecting our water begins with understanding where it comes from, where it goes, and how our actions affect it. Good water stewardship is simply good land stewardship, and East Texas needs both.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler.