Texas Water Symposium For September

Texas Water Symposium Planned – How Micro-Flora & Fauna Contribute to Water Quality

The first Texas Water Symposium of 2016-2017 season has been set for 7 pm to 8:30 pm on Thursday September 1^st at Schreiner University’s Cailloux Campus Activity Center Ballroom in Kerrville, Texas.  The program will feature a conversation between leading biology experts about the effect that micro-organisms have on Hill Country streams and rivers.

The Texas Water Symposium is free and open to the public. Parking is available on campus.

Schreiner University, Texas Public Radio, and the Hill Country Alliance have gathered a highly qualified group of aquatic biologists to explore the various aspects of how and why microscopic organisms add or detract from water quality, and how we restore those beneficial organisms in the event of serious damage.

The Symposium will be moderated by Mary Ellen Summerlin, former Director of the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District.

Panelists will include:

• Bob Howells: Retired TPWD: Author of Freshwater Mussels of Texas
• Tara Bushnoe: Natural Resources Coordinator, Upper Guadalupe River Authority
• Ryan Caesar: Professor of Invertebrate Biology, Schreiner University
• Mateo Scoggins: Ecological Service Restoration Practitioner

Most people judge the health of their favorite waterways by the clarity of the water or by the quality of the day’s fishing haul. Few of us are aware that there is an entire lifecycle of invisible aquatic plants and animals that determine the health of our streams and rivers.

Healthy populations of these naturally occurring plants and animals are the foundation of the aquatic ecosystems that maintain good water quality and healthy fish and wildlife stocks.

With increasing development and growth in the Hill Country, we’re seeing more lawns, roads, parking lots and rooftops, all of which contribute to pollutants entering our waterways. As our creeks and rivers come under increasing pressure from those biological and chemical pollutants, aquatic scientists are learning more about the services that microscopic plants and animals provide. Science shows these ecological services are even more widespread and important than previously known.

Join Schreiner University, Texas Public Radio, and the Hill Country Alliance for an exploration of how the tiniest plants and animals that populate our waterways provide some of the biggest benefits to the overall health of those ecosystems, and how we can restore the ecological services these micro-flora and fauna contribute to impaired Hill Country waterways.

For nine years, the Texas Water Symposium series has brought together policymakers, scientists, water resource experts, landowners and regional leaders to explore the challenges and complexities of managing water in Texas. The sessions are free and open to the public, and are recorded and aired on Texas Public Radio one week later. The Symposium is a partnership project of Schreiner University, Texas Tech University, Texas Public Radio and the Hill Country Alliance.

For more information, visit the Texas Water Symposium.

Listen to past shows online.

To stay informed about future programs, subscribe at www.hillcountryalliance.org.

The Hill Country Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to raise public awareness and build community support around the need to preserve the natural resources and heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country. Visit us at www.hillcountryalliance.org.