Lone Star Healthy Streams Workshop in Copperas Cove on July 29th

The Lone Star Healthy Streams program aims to educate Texas livestock producers and landowners on how to best protect Texas waterways from bacterial contamination associated with livestock production and feral hogs. By participating in this workshop, livestock producers and landowners can learn specific conservation practices that can help combat bacteria pollution and improve and protect the quality of Texas water bodies, specifically the Lampasas River and its tributaries. Three Texas Department of Agriculture general continuing education credits will be provided for certified pesticide applicators. To RSVP for the workshop, go to http://lshs.tamu.edu/workshops/ or call Matt Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist in College Station at 979-862-8072.

Spring 2015 BMP Q&A

By: Todd Thomas, Water Resources Forester, Texas A&M Forest Service

Q: I have an old road that I use to access most of my property that is fairly steep in some parts and has high banks on either side.  The road itself has a good crown on it and sheds water well.  The problem lies with the ditches.  Due to the high banks I am unable to install any turnouts to give the side ditches some relief until the road reaches the bottom of the hill.  This makes for severely gutted out ditches.  What can I do to keep my ditches from being so washed out? 

A: Excellent question. Believe it or not, you are not alone in your problem.  This is especially common on roads that are retired county roads where years of grading left the road severely below grade.  Your issue is extremely problematic because if left untreated the erosion occurring in your ditches will eventually begin to undercut your road. 

The best option that comes to mind that would be the most long-lived would be the installation of small “Reno mattresses” in your ditches.  A Reno mattress is comprised of chicken wire, stakes (ideally rebar), wire ties and rock or other aggregate.  These installations should take up the full width of your ditch, be approximately one to two feet wide, and one to two feet tall.  The rock or rip rap you use should be bigger around than that holes in the chicken wire. 

Small Reno mattress installations in side ditch on steep grade

To install a Reno mattress, lay the chicken wire the width of your ditch, dump your aggregate on top of the wire to form a mound one to two feet wide and one to two feet tall, fold the wire over the top of your rock mound and use wire to tie the chicken wire shut.  Next, take your stakes and stake the Reno mattress down on the front and on the back.  When installing the Reno mattresses take care to ensure that any flow will not wash out the edges or undercut the installment.  To determine the number and spacing you will need, consult the Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Blue Book.  The chart for waterbar spacing on page 54 should suffice, however if you think you need more, go for it.  More of these will certainly not be detrimental.   

Top view of  Reno mattress

The functionality of these Reno mattresses is twofold.  The first function, as with all BMPs is to slow down the flow.  The second function occurs from the slowed down flow; once the flow in the ditch is slowed down any sediment it is carrying with it should settle out behind the installment.  Over time this should work to fill in the ditch behind the mattress while allowing water to pass on through.  Sort of a “filtering” effect. 

In closing, remember the primary functionality goals of BMPs, slow down flow to reduce erosion and to allow any sediment travelling with the flow to settle out.  Be sure to keep the questions coming.  You can call our office in Lufkin at any time, the number 936-639-8180, or you can email me at tthomas@tfs.tamu.edu

2011 Drought and Fire Recovery Continues in Kimble County

 

Oasis Pipeline Fire Recovery Workshop

 

 

Please join us to discuss the recovery of land impacted by the April 2011 wildfire.  

 

On Saturday, April 18, 2015, the public is invited to participate in a workshop addressing four years of recovery and restoration of the land impacted by drought and the Oasis Wildfire of 2011 in Kimble County.

 

The workshop will begin at 8:30 am at the Texas Tech Center in Junction. An expert panel will provide information about the recovery of the land, water, and wildlife along with what strategies were most effective.  In addition to a guided tour of the recovery demonstration areas, attendees will be provided an informational binder, a package of a specially formulated seed mix for scorched and drought impacted lands, along with a picnic lunch on the South Llano River.

 

Registration is required 

Please register by April 12 online at http://southllano.org/

or contact Scott Richardson at 325-475-2271 or scottr@ctecs.net

 

The workshop is sponsored by the South Llano Watershed Alliance and Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.

 

 

Picture provided by southllano.org

Urban Riparian Symposium - Restoration, Collaboration, Innovation

Register Now - Early Registration is due by December 1 for $75 and after December 1 registration is $110.

The Urban Riparian Symposium in Austin February 11^th – 13^th  of 2015 and will provide an opportunity for natural resource professionals to share ideas, discuss management and policy issues, lessons learned in urban riparian and stream planning, assessment, design, construction, and evaluation. The symposium includes presentations, discussions, and workshops, and nighttime walks. A draft schedule has been developed. Wednesday will offer two workshops in the afternoon for those attendees that sign up for them.  Thursday and Friday’s events will run from 9am to 6pm and will include plenary speakers, concurrent topic sessions with moderated discussion, and a poster session. Snacks and drinks will be provided but meals will be on your own.  There a number of restaurants within walking distance to the event center where people can eat lunch and dinner.  On Thursday night a limited number of people will be able to sign up for one of two separate nighttime walks being hosted by the Austin Water Utility exclusively for the symposium.

Scientists and practitioners are encouraged to share experiences, network with colleagues, and become involved in shaping the future of urban riparian issues in Texas. You can begin by submitting your abstract for oral or poster presentation and registering for the conference.

Request for Abstracts

Abstracts are being sought for oral presentations and posters focused on Urban Riparian topics. Submit abstracts by email to n-dictson@tamu.edu .ABSTRACTS MUST BE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL ON OR BEFORE November 18, 2014.

Urban Riparian Symposium Request for Abstracts

Abstract Submittal Checklist and Directions

Registration

Urban Riparian Symposium Registration

Registration Fees can be paid by Credit Card, Check or Government Purchase Order. If paying by credit card please email, mail, or fax your completed credit card authorization form included on the registration form. The charge will state AgriLife Research Fisc. If paying by check please make check payable to Texas Water Resources Institute, Urban Riparian Symposium 06-215071-89538. If paying by purchase order please fax or email your registration form and submit a copy to your bookkeeper for payment processing. Please email, fax, or mail your registration form and payment to:

Nikki Dictson, TWRI

Urban Riparian Symposium

1500 Research Pkwy., Suite A110

College Station, TX 77843-2118

Email: n-dictson@tamu.edu

Fax: 979-845-0662

Outfall Protection

What exactly is outfall protection?  Outfall protection is an essential element of proper culvert installation and can certainly extend the life of your culvert.  Outfall protection most often consists of rip rap or other large aggregate placed at the end of the culvert to intercept and absorb the energy produced by the water exiting the culvert. 

Rock Outfall Protection

As water flows down a ditch or stream, it is gaining speed or velocity.  This velocity increases once the flow of water is concentrated in a culvert.   Culverts also tend to have more smooth edges, or less roughness than the ditch or streambed to slow this water down.  Once this water exits the culvert, it is moving relatively fast with lots of power ready to move some soil and cause erosion.  In addition to scouring out the channel down from the culvert, this water tends to swirl around as it leaves the culvert and can eventually wash out the culvert, costing you money to come in and re-install your culvert. 

Outfall protection intercepts this flow and spreads it out, thus reducing the speed of the water and its erosive power.  Outfall protection can be as simple as some old bricks, busted up concrete, old tires, or large rock.  On cross-drain culverts, where you are transferring runoff from across the road, you may want to not only put outfall protection under the end of the culvert, but also on the bank adjacent to the culvert exit, to help preserve the bank and prevent excessive erosion.   On culverts used for creek crossings it is often important to not only have outfall protection on the culvert exit, but also on the sides of the banks on either side of the culvert exit.  This will prevent swirling water exiting the culvert from eroding the stream banks and eventually blowing out the sides of your culvert. 

Outfall protection can also be an important component of wing ditches on some of your woods roads that are generally only used during forest operations.  In these instances, you may not need to invest in large, rock aggregate, but instead can prevent excessive erosion by placing slash or brush at the outlet of the wing ditch.  Another method of providing outfall protection on wing ditches could be using vegetation.  If this is an area that doesn't receive a large amount of runoff, it is a good idea to use our seeding chart on page 67 of the blue book. 

In conclusion, outfall protection is essential in protecting your culvert, ditch, stream, wallet, and water quality in general.  Outfall protection will save you money by not having to re-install culverts and reduce the frequency that you have to come and pull your ditches.  Outfall protection protects streams health and preserves water quality by reducing the amount of sediment traveling downstream that result from stream bed and stream bank scour.  

Bell County Conservation Expo - June 12, 2014

To RSVP, contact: 

Bell Co. AgriLife Extension Services

 

(Checks payable to: Bell Crops Committee)

 

1605 N Main St., 102

Belton, TX 76513

254-933-5305

l-zoeller@tamu.edu

www.texasconservation.org 

May 2014 BMP Q&A

By: Todd Thomas, Water Resources Forester, Texas A&M Forest Service

Q: As a result of some of these spring time rains we have been experiencing, several of the permanent roads we use have stayed wet and become a major headache.  For future reference, what do you recommend to help decrease the amount of time it takes to dry these roads out?

A: After some of the dry weather we’ve had the last couple of years, there’s no doubt that the rain is welcome, but with it comes issues like the one you’ve brought up.  As they say, “the wetter the road, the weaker the road.”  One method that comes to mind for decreasing the amount of time it takes for a road to dry out is called “daylighting.”

Sun and wind are the primary agents needed to dry out a road.  Daylighting is a method that that entails clearing trees along the edge of the road in order to increase air circulation and allow more sunlight to hit the road surface.  The forest canopy intercepts quite a bit of wind and sunlight.  The more sun and wind that reach the road, the faster it will dry out, allowing you to work more efficiently, reducing erosion potential, and increasing the life span of your road.  How far you decide to remove these trees on the sides is up to your discretion, really just enough to get that sunlight and wind onto the road surface.  

 

This road is receiving optimum sunlight and air circulation now,
but later on these trees along the side may need to be removed.

Due to our location on the Earth’s surface, the southern side of east-west running roads should receive the most attention in order to maximize the amount of afternoon sun that hits the road.  Generally speaking, afternoon sun has a greater intensity than morning sun and a southern exposure will receive more direct sunlight than a northern exposure.  On a north-south running road, the west side should have more trees removed than the east side, to maximize the afternoon sun.  In areas with substantial curves in the road, go ahead and take several trees out of the inside of the curve to enhance the daylighting process and to increase visibility down the road as a safety precaution. 

In addition to allowing the road to dry faster, daylighting also helps to increase vegetative cover.  Increased grasses on the road surface when the road is not under heavy traffic loads will do two things.  The root structure of the grasses will do an excellent job of holding soil in place while the grasses themselves intercept rainfall and reduce soil particle displacement from raindrop impact.  The second benefit to the road is that the grasses will also aid in removing moisture.  As these grasses grow and conduct photosynthesis, they will remove moisture from the soil comprising the road bed and then transpire it into the atmosphere.  The increased number of grasses and forbs growing in the road and on the sides of the road will be of great benefit to wildlife as a food source.  So you are not only helping the road system but you are helping to feed our furry friends.  Who knows, maybe they’ll grow some bigger antlers and be more convenient to load into the back of the pickup since they are hanging out on the road! 

In conclusion, if your primary access roads are staying too wet, you may want to consider removing some trees along the side of the road in a process known as “daylighting.”  Remember, forest roads have the potential to severely degrade water quality and by keeping them in good shape, you are helping to keep our waters clean as well.  If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 936-639-8180, you can reach me by email at tthomas@tfs.tamu.edu, or just swing by our office in Lufkin. 

*This article was published in the May 2014 edition of the Texas Logger