Texas Watershed Stewardship - For Credit

Course Information

The Texas Watershed Steward (TWS) online program is a statewide educational program designed to improve the quality of Texas' water resources by educating and informing local stakeholders about their watershed, potential impairments, and steps that can be taken to help improve and protect water quality in their watershed. The program is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and made possible through a Clean Water Act S319 nonpoint source grant from the TSSWCB and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The goals of the TWS program include the following:

• Promote healthy watersheds by increasing citizen awareness, understanding, and knowledge about the nature and function of watersheds, potential impairments, and watershed protection strategies to minimize nonpoint source pollution,
• Enhance interactive learning opportunities for watershed education across Texas and establish a larger, more well-informed citizen base,
• Empower individuals to take leadership roles involving community and watershed-level water resource issues,
• Facilitate local efforts and activities to implement practices to improve water quality,
• Increase stakeholder involvement in watershed protection and management efforts including development and implementation of Watershed Protection Plans (WPPs) and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) by educating and organizing local citizens.