Texas Waters Specialist
Through this program, we want to develop a corps of
well-informed volunteer specialists who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of aquatic resources and aquatic habitats within their communities for the state of Texas. Questions? Please direct them to Melissa Felty (Alderson), Conservation Education Manager, melissa.alderson@tpwd.texas.gov
Program Requirements
Accumulate at least 8 hours of Advanced Training utilizing the Texas Waters curriculum:
- Attend Texas Waters events, sessions, and field trips at the Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting
- Attend Texas Waters webinars. If you missed any of the webinars, you can still use them to earn AT by forming a small interactive study group and watch the recorded webinars (below) with discussion.
- Small group interactive study (Use the chapters in the curriculum and the "Questions to Consider" to guide your study and discussion.
- Other approved Texas Waters learning activities such as Texas Stream Team and CoCoRaHS training (Limit-4 hours)
Texas Waters Specialist - Volunteer Registration and Reporting Guide
Texas Master Naturalists should enter their Advanced Training hours under the "AT:TX Waters Certification Training" opportunity for AT credit. The hours required to obtain certification and for community service are not on top of existing chapter requirements; instead, can be counted toward your annual chapter requirements.
Annual Renewal Requirements
Participate in at least 10 hours of volunteer services in the area of water and watersheds. Projects should be pre-approved. Some examples can be found here.
2020 Texas Waters Webinars
- Tuesday, January 14th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "One Water: Managing Water Resources to Sustain Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems" with Cindy Loeffler, P.E., Water Resources Branch Chief, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Cindy's PowerPoint
- Wednesday, February 12th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "Texas Instream Flow Study" with Kevin Mayes, Natural Resources Specialist, TPWD Register
- Wednesday, March 18th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "CoCoRaHs" with Bill Runyon CoCoRaHs-Texas State Coordinator, Retired, National Weather Service Register
- Tuesday, April 7th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "Groundwater Conservation Districts" with Natalie Ballew, Manager, Texas Water Development Board Register
- Tuesday, May 19th 6:30-7:30 pm CST – "Comptroller Office Natural Resource Programs" with Chelsea Jones, Senior Research Analyst, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Register
- Wednesday, June 17th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "Urban Water Cycle and Sustainability in the Swamp" with
Nora Schell, Lake Waco Wetlands Coordinator, City of Waco-Water Utilities & Melissa L. Mullins, Environmental Education Specialist, Baylor University-Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research Register
- Thursday, July 16th 6:30-7:30 pm CST - "Upper Coast Wetland Ecosystem Project" with Mike Rezsutek, Project Leader, TPWD Register
- Thursday, August 13th 6:30- 7:30 pm CST - "River Restoration Guidelines" with Ryan McGillicuddy, Conservation Biologist, TPWD & Michelle Bertelsen,
Ecologist and Land Steward, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center & John Hart Asher, MLA, Senior Environmental Designer, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Register
Past Webinars
- February 27, 2017 “The characteristics, components and value of healthy Watershed Ecosystems", with Megan Bean, TPWD, View Recorded Webinar, Megan's PowerPoint
- April 18, 2017 "The Ecological Significance of Natural Flow Regimes", with Kevin Mayes, TPWD. View Recorded Webinar, Kevin's PowerPoint
- June 22, 2017 "Instruments of Watershed Change", with Nikki Dictson, Extension Program Specialist with the Texas Water Resources Institute. View Recorded Webinar, Nikki's PowerPoint
- August 22, 2017 "Texas Water Law and Planning", with Cindy Loeffler, Chief, Water Resources Branch, TPWD. View Recorded Webinar, Cindy's Presentation
- December 19, 2017 "Aquatic Invasive Species" with Monica McGarrity, TPWD, View Recorded Webinar, Monica's PowerPoint
- February 15, 2018 "Urban Stream/Bayou Management/Challenges" with Mateo Scoggins, City of Austin Watershed Protection, View Recorded Webinar, Mateo's PowerPoint
- February 27, 2018 "Groundwater/Surface Water and Freshwater Inflow" with Andy Sansom, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Recorded Webinar, Andy's PowerPoint
- April 10, 2018 "Guadalupe Bass/Small Mouth Bass Introduction/Removal" (Chapter 1) with Gordon Linam, TPWD, Recorded Webinar, Gordon's Presentation
- May 29, 2018 "Groundwater and Surface Water Rights" (Chapter 9) with Robert Mace, PhD,
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Associate Director, and Chief Water Policy Officer, Recorded Webinar, Robert's PowerPoint - June 26, 2018 "Texas Water Entities" (Chapter 9) with Cindy Loeffler, TPWD, Recorded Webinar, Cindy's PowerPoint
- August 7, 2018 "Coastal Ecology and Issues" (Chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 8) with Holly Grand, TPWD, Recorded Webinar, Holly's PowerPoint
- August 28, 2018 "Our Changing Climate and the Impact on Texas' Fish, Wildlife, and Habitats (Texas Waters Chapter 8)" with Katharine Hayhoe, PhD, Texas Tech University Climate Scientist, Recorded Webinar (re-recorded by Dr. Hayhoe), resources provided by Katharine: NOAA's Climate at a Glance; Fourth US National Climate Assessment; Third US National Climate Assessment; Skeptical Science; PBS Digital Series, Global Weirding; Katharine's website
- January 16, 2019 - "ABCs of Apple Snails and eDNA" with Romi Burks, Biology Professor, Southwestern University Recorded Webinar, Romi's PowerPoint
- February 26, 2019 - "Recovering America's Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647)" with Kelly Simon, Urban Wildlife Biologist, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Kelly's PowerPoint
- March 19, 2019 - "Senate Bill 2: Instream Flow Study on the San Antonio River" with Gordon Linam, Stream Ecologist, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Gordon's PowerPoint
- April 23, 2019 - "The Reilly Elementary School Stormwater Retrofit: Water as a Resource and Education Tool" with Staryn Wagner, Environmental Scientist, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department & Amy Grossman, Landscape Architect Associate, Austin Parks and Recreation Department Recorded Webinar, Staryn and Amy's PowerPoint, Passive Rainwater Harvesting System Information
- May 21, 2019 – "Biological Monitoring Using Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality in a Stream Ecosystem" with Archis Grubh, Aquatic Biologist, TPWD Recorded Webinar (audio only), Archis's PowerPoint, Archis's Management Project Video Clip
- Aquatic Science Education Apps
- June 18, 2019 - "Freshwater Mussels: Assessing the Status and Distribution of Unionids within the Tributaries of East Austin" with Liz Johnston, Environmental Program Coordinator, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department Recorded Webinar, Liz's PowerPoint
- July 16, 2019 - "The Importance of Playas in Texas High Plaines" with Don Kahl, Migratory Game Bird Specialist, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Don's PowerPoint
- August 20, 2019 - "Devils River: A multi-disciplinary approach to saving one of the last great wild rivers in Texas" with Sarah Robertson, Aquatic Biologist, River Studies Program, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Sarah's PowerPoint