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, Conservation Education Manager, ConservationEdu@tpwd.texas.gov 

Certification Requirements

Accumulate a combination of at least 8 hours of Advanced Training (AT) utilizing the Texas Waters curriculum in the following:

• Attend Texas Waters live webinars (registration links and recorded webinars below)
  • General public: recorded webinars can be viewed individually for AT
  • Master Naturalist: a small discussion group is highly encouraged to view recorded webinars for AT
• Read Texas Waters: Exploring Water and Watersheds (TW) curriculum
  • General public: read chapters and complete Chapter quizzes (below)
  • Master Naturalist: a study group is highly encouraged to read TW chapters. Use the "Questions to Consider" or chapter quizzes (below) to guide your study and discussion
• Attend Texas Waters Day event, watershed-based sessions, and/or field trips at the Texas Master Naturalist Annual meeting
• Other approved aquatic or watershed learning activities or trainings (Limit- up to 4 hours) 

Approved advanced training topics and agencies examples can be found here.

Texas Waters Specialist and Webinar Flyer 2025 (Updated 02/14/2025)

Annual Renewal Requirements

Participate in at least 10 hours of volunteer services in water, aquatic habitats, and watersheds. 

Projects should be pre-approved. Approved volunteer service opportunity topics and agencies examples can be found here.

Getting Started and Reporting Hours

***Due to continued issues with VMS, TWS Certifications have not been issued since March 2025. TWS service entries may be impacted as well. Individuals and TMN chapters will be notified once all items are fixed. Sincerest apologies for the inconvenience!*** 

There is no formal application process. Whether you are a Texas Master Naturalist or obtaining certification as General Public, follow the steps below. There currently is no time limit to obtain Advanced Training for initial certification.

General Public (TMN see below) - Follow this Texas Waters Specialist - Volunteer Registration and Reporting Guide PDF

Texas Master Naturalists

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

Advanced Training

• Request from Chapter VMS coordinator the "AT:TX Waters Certification Training" opportunity
• Enter eligible AT using "AT:TX Waters Certification Training" and describe with some detail the AT

Volunteer Service

• Can be obtained concurrent to obtaining TWS certification
  • For example: after receiving training from an approved training source (TPWD, CoCoRaHS, AgriLife, Texas Stream Team, etc.), a volunteer can use those skills in volunteer service while obtaining their 8 AT hours.
• Enter service hours as per Chapter policy.
• Click on the shown box ONLY for volunteer service hours that are aquatic/watershed related.
• If you do not see this box and have entered TWS AT hours, contact ConservationEdu@tpwd.texas.gov

Curriculum Chapter Quizzes

A score of 100% is required; the quizzes can be taken more than once. Results are saved, therefore, no need to send an email of completion.

Up to 1 hour per TW chapter is eligible for AT. Master Naturalist: per policy, quizzes may not be approved for Chapter AT but will count toward TWS certification using "AT:TX Waters Certification Training" opportunity.

Texas Water curriculum, Download PDF 

• Chapter One Quiz: Texas Aquatic Habitats and the Species They Support
• Chapter Two Quiz: The Characteristics, Components and Value of Healthy Watershed Ecosystems
• Chapter Three Quiz: The Watershed’s Role as a Natural System
• Chapter Four Quiz: Ecosystem Services
• Chapter Five Quiz: The Ecological Significance of Natural Flow Regimes
• Chapter Six Quiz: The Role and Function of Wetlands and Estuarine Systems
• Chapter Seven Quiz: Natural Instruments of Watershed Change
• Chapter Eight Quiz: Human Caused Instruments of Watershed Change
• Chapter Nine Quiz: Texas Water Law and Planning

2025 Texas Waters Webinars

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 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
• January 14, 2020 - "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
• February 12, 2020 - "New Tools for Environmental Flow Information" with Kevin Mayes, Natural Resources Specialist, TPWD; Instream Flow Council-Resources (Scroll down to Texas) link to Environmental Tools, Recorded Webinar, Kevin's PowerPoint
• March 18, 2020 - "CoCoRaHs" with Bill Runyon CoCoRaHs-Texas State Coordinator, Retired, National Weather Service CoCoRaHS newsletter (Scroll down to Texas) The Crowd and the Cloud video (Click on CoCoRaHS to the left) Recorded Webinar, Bill's PowerPoint.
• April 7, 2020 - "Groundwater Conservation Districts" with Natalie Ballew, Manager, Texas Water Development Board TWDB webpage, Recorded Webinar, Natalie's PowerPoint
• May 19, 2020 - "Estuaries to Edwards: Aquatic Species Research with the Texas Comptroller's Natural Resources Program" with Chelsea Jones, Senior Research Analyst, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts CPA Natural Resources Program webpage Recorded Webinar Chelsea's PowerPoint
• June 17, 2020 - "Urban Water Cycle and City of Waco Water Drop Tour" 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 Recorded Webinar, Nora Schell's PowerPoint

• July 14, 2020 - "Salt Bayou Watershed Restoration: Upper Coast Wetland Ecosystem Project" with Mike Rezsutek, Project Leader, TPWD Recorded Webinar, Mike's PowerPoint, Salt Bayou Watershed Restoration Plan
• August 13, 2020 - "River Restoration Guidelines" with Ryan McGillicuddy, Conservation Biologist, TPWD & Michelle Bertelsen, Ecologist and Land Steward, Ecosystem Design Group & John Hart Asher, MLA, Senior Environmental Designer, Ecosystem Design Group, Hill Country Restoration Design Guidelines, Recorded Webinar
• January 21, 2021 - From Micro to Macro: Shark and Fish Larvae Impacted by Microplastics, with Elise Pullen, Scientific Illustrator and TPWD VISTA & Jenna M Karr, Graduate Researcher at Center of Marine Debris Research at Hawaii Pacific University Recorded Webinar, Jenna & Elise slides, Food-grade salt research
• *Rescheduled: March 4, 2021 - Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP) & Nurdle Patrol, with John O'Connell, Coordinator of MRRP at Texas Sea Grant. Recorded Webinar, John's PowerPoint, MRRP link, Nurdle Patrol, NOAA Marine Debris - Caitlin Wessel email
• March 9, 2021 - Harmful Algae Blooms, with Brent Bellinger, Senior Environmental Scientist at City of Austin Watershed Protection. Recorded Webinar, Brent's PowerPoint, City of Austin Watershed Protection Dept, US EPA-Nutrient Pollution
• April 13, 2021 - Upper Trinity Watershed Protection Program, with Blake Alldredge, at Upper Trinity Regional Water District. Recorded Webinar, Blake's PowerPoint, UTWRD webpage, Water Calculator
• May 19, 2021 - Native American Cultural Connection to Water, with Bryant Celestine, Historic Preservation Officer at Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. Recorded Webinar, Bryant's PowerPoint, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, Non-native Giant reed Arundo donax
• June 15, 2021 - Regenerative Land Management for Healthy Watersheds, with Philip Boyd, Director of Science and Communications, and Casey Wade, Vice President of Ranching Operations, at Dixon Water Foundation. Recorded Webinar, Casey's PowerPoint, Philip's PowerPoint, Dixon Water Foundation, Holistic Management International
• July 14 , 2021 - Aquatic Vegetation Management, with Brittany Chesser, Aquatic Vegetation Management Program Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Recorded Webinar, Brittany's PowerPoint, TMN Aquatic Plant photo contest, AquaPlant Diagnostic Tool
• August 18, 2021 - One Water and Water Conservation, Robert Mace, Executive Director & Chief Water Policy Officer, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. One Water Recorded Webinar, Robert's PowerPoint, US Water Alliance, Austin Water - Water Forward, Advancing One Water in Texas PDF, CLARA - Water Reuse video, Wimberly School One Water video
• January 18, 2022 - Karst: The Role of Water in Shaping the Texas Hill Country with Tom Jones, Hays County Master Naturalist and retired Geologist and Hydrogeologist Recorded webinar; Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (map of karst locations), City of Austin Watershed Protection (Karst lessons, virtual tours of caves), Jacob's Well Exploration Project, USGS Karst aquifers (conceptual model with saline layer)
• February 15, 2022 - Lake Livingston’s Restoration Project: 8 Years, 13+ Partners with Scott Ball, Heartwood Master Naturalist, & Scooter Langley, Lee College TDCJ Ellis Unit Horticulture Program Recorded webinar, Scott and Scooter's PowerPoint, Friends of Lake Livingston, Texan by Nature FoLL Conservation Wrangler, American water-willow (Justicia americana) USDA factsheet, Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) USDA factsheet, Lake Livingston Conservation video, Lake Livingston Friends of Reservoir Collaboration video
• March 10, 2022 - TWDB's Water Conservation Programs and Resources with Shae Luther, Water Education Specialist & Kyla Peterson, Natural Resources Specialist/Team Lead - Ag Conservation & Josh Sendejar, Water Conservation Specialist at Texas Water Development Board Recorded webinar, Texas Water Development Board PowerPoint, TWDB Conservation Programs, 2022 TWDB State Water Plan, TWDB Regional Water Planning Groups, Water Conservation Advisory Council (WCAC), TWDB Water Data, Texas Land Trends surveys, Water Calculator
• April 20, 2022 - Ecosystem Services in the Greater Houston Region: Case study analysis and recommendations for policy initiatives with Deborah January-Bevers, President at Houston Wilderness Recorded webinar, Houston Wilderness webpage, Houston Wilderness Ecosystem Services (ES) Primer PDF, ES of Regional Native Trees PDF, Davey National Tree Benefit Calculator
• May 10, 2022 - Managing Agricultural Nonpoint Source Water Pollution in Texas with Brian Koch, Regional Watershed Coordinator at Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board Recorded webinar, Brian's PowerPoint, Texas Watershed Stewardship program, Texas Stream Team, Texas Clean Rivers Program, Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA)
• June 15, 2022 - Artificial Reef Program: Diving into Science with Allison Baldwin, Artificial Reef Technician at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Recorded Webinar, TPWD's Artificial Reef Program, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA) in Texas
• July 12, 2022 - Forestry Best Management Practices and Their Effectiveness with Donna Work, Biologist IV at Texas A&M Forest Service Recorded Webinar, Donna's PowerPoint, Texas A&M Forest Service Water Resources (includes publications, app links, trainings, and much more), TFS BMPs, TFS BMP Monitoring, TFS Best Management Practices Guide, EPA How's My Water
• August 11, 2022 - They Live Here, Too: Wildlife Habitat Restoration as Water Supply Protection with Katie Myers & Michelle Wood-Ramirez, Watershed Coordinators at Tarrant Regional Water District Recorded webinar, TRWD Watershed Protection Plans, TRWD Rainscapes StoryMaps, USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Programs, Water Is Awesome (native plants & water conservation tips), TPWD GIS maps (ecosystem analysis, seagrass, artificial reefs, watershed viewer, etc.)
• September 22, 2022 - How One Community is Tackling Their Water Quality Issues with Teri MacArthur, Environmental Education Specialist at The Woodlands Township-Environmental Services Department Recorded webinar, Teri's PowerPoint, The Woodlands Township Water Conservation, Installing Storm Drain Markers video, Motives and Organization's Roles of Citizen Science in Texas article, Citizen Scientists' Motivations article, Texas Living Waters Project publications, TCEQ NPS program, Galveston Bay report card, UN Freshwater Strategic Priorities
• January 17, 2023 - Interpreting Early Texas Cisterns with Walt Bailey, Regional Interpretive Specialist-Region 4 at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Recorded webinar, TPWD's Historical Imagery Viewer (on TPWD Lands tab), Lake Somerville Birch Creek State Park Facebook video "The Hidden History of Cisterns"
• February 7, 2023 - Texas Water Action Collaborative (TxWAC)withTaylor Keys, Program Director at Texan by Nature  - Recorded webinar, Taylor's PowerPoint, Texan By Nature, TxN's Conservation Service Resource Guide, TxWAC 21/22 Impact Report, Texas Water Foundation (Texas House Water Caucus and Texas Water Day at the Capitol), Texas 2036: Legislative Blueprint for addressing Texas' water infrastructure crisis, NBS Benefits Explorer, Forests to Faucets 2.0 Assessment Other resources mentioned: Texas Litter database (STOP) and Dark Skies Initiative
• March 9, 2023 - Texas Water Resource Data with Marty Kelly, Natural Resources Specialist-Coastal Fisheries at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Recorded webinar, Marty's PowerPoint (maps separated) EPA How's My Waterway?, EPA ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online), USGS Texas Water Dashboard (scroll to 'Explore the Texas water dashboard'), TCEQ Surface Water Quality Web Reporting Tool (scroll to Data Viewers), Water Resources Database Demonstration handout, Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Data & Monitoring team, #TMNTuesdays (Texas Waters: March 14)
• April 20, 2023 - Mountain Cedars: the Limestone Junipers of Texas with Elizabeth McGreevy, Executive Director Project Bedrock (formerly Roots in Karst) and ecological consultant - Recorded webinar, Elizabeth's PowerPoint, Project Bedrock (formerly Roots in Karst), Wanted! Mountain Cedars: Dead and Alive (purchase online at Native American Seed or in-store at Book People and The Boerne Bookshop), cedar research (Long Distance Gene Flow between J. ashei and J. Ovata; Adams, Johnson, & Schwarzbach) (Pleistocene Infraspecific Evolution in J. ashei; Adams & Baker), some questions answered from webinar, Groundwater to the Gulf teacher training
• May 10, 2023 - Wetland Types and Trends in Texas with Rachel R. Fern, Statewide Wetland Program Leader at Wildlife Division with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Recorded webinar, Rachel's PowerPoint, TPWD Water page (Wetland information under Habitats), TPWD Managing Riparian Habitats for Wildlife Guide, Texas Golden Gladecress factsheet, Neches River Rose-Mallow factsheet, Big Thicket National Preserve, Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve, Lake Waco Wetlands
• June 21, 2023 - Mapping Texas Landscapes on the Go: Texas Parks and Wildlife Departments’ TEAMgo Tool with Laura Miksch, Botanist - Wildlife Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife - Recorded webinar, Laura's PowerPoint, Landscape Ecology Program (with Ecological Mapping Systems and Texas Ecosystem Analytical Mapper link), EMS (with links to EMS descriptions and supporting documents), TEAM (direct link), iNaturalist, Seek app
• July 11, 2023 - Texas Stream Team with Ally Schlandt, Program and Outreach Specialist at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment - Recorded webinar, Ally's PowerPoint, Texas Stream Team (TST) webpage, TST Data, TST Trainings and Calendar, TST Forms and Resources (including kits/equipment for purchase), LCRA Hyrdomet (rainfall), National Weather Service observed rainfall, Texas Water Day at TMN Annual Meeting is Thursday, October 12 from 1:00-4:20 PM in McAllen, TX (any individual can register), Climate Science Conference
• August 9, 2023 - Texas Water: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow with Robert Mace, Executive Director & Chief Water Policy Officer with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment - Recorded webinar, Robert's PowerPoint, Climate Science conference, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, TW webinar topic survey, Texas Aquatic Science workshops
• January 23, 2024 - San Antonio Water:  Sole Source to Diversity with Gregg Eckhardt, Senior Analyst with San Antonio Water System - Recorded webinar, Gregg's PowerPoint, San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) website, SAWS H2Oaks Center for tours
• February 7, 2024 - Proposition 6: What Does that Mean for Texans with Kathleen B. Ligon, Associate Executive Administrator, with Texas Water Development Board Recorded webinar, USFWS Sport Fish Restoration Program, Texas Water Development Board webpage, TWDB: Prop 6 and Texas Water Fund FAQs and Timeline, three surveys mentioned during webinar (coming soon), Texas Water Foundation Prop 6 info, Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts Prop 6 info
• March 13, 2024 - Aquatic Habitat Managment on Private Land with Brittany Chesser, Aquatic Vegetation Management Program Specialist, with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Recorded webinar, Brittany's PowerPoint, TPWD's Managing Private Lakes & Ponds webpage, TAMU's Pond & Sport Fish Management webpage, TAMU's Soil Testing Lab webpage, TAMU's Aquatic Diagnostic Lab webpage, TAMU's webinar series events webpage
• April 18, 2024 - Desalination: Southmost Regional Water Authority (SRWA) Brackish Groundwater Treatment Facility with Jacob Galvan with Southmost Regional Water Authority Recorded webinar, Jacob's PowerPoint, SRWA webpage, SRWA request a tour, TWDB brackish maps
• May 16, 2024 - Feral Pigs and Water Issues with Michael J. Bodenchuk, Texas State Director, with USDA APHIS WS Recorded webinar, Mike's PowerPoint, TPWD Wild Pigs webpage, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Feral Hog Management webpage, USDA Feral Swine: Managing an Invasive Species webpage, TPWD Dealing with Feral Hogs YouTube, TPWD Hogs Wild, Fighting the Feral Pig Problem YouTube
• June 12, 2024 - Aquatic and Riparian Restoration in the Chihuahuan Desert with Jeff Bennett, Habitat Restoration Hydrologist, & Price Rumbelow, Conservation Delivery Specialist with American Bird Conservancy - Rio Grande Joint Venture Recorded webinar, Jeff's PowerPoint and Price's PowerPoint, Rio Grande Joint Venture webpage, Chihuahuan Desert Native Fish Network webpage, Water in the Desert Conference recording
• July 17, 2024 - Stewardship for Birds in Aquatic & Riparian Habitats with W. Rufus Stephens, Wildlife Biologist & Coauthor of "Land Stewardship for Birds" Recorded webinar, Rufus's PowerPoint (corrected Orchard Oriole photo), TPWD's Great Texas Birding Classic, GTBC Conservation Grant Project Proposal Guidelines, TPWD's conservation license plates (order new Roadrunner to support avian conservation), Texas P&M Press - Land Stewardship for Birds by Rufus Stephens and Jan Wrede (use code 'stewardship' for a discount)
• August 14, 2024 - Reliable Rainwater Is Just a Roof Away: The Firm Yield of Rainwater Harvesting in Texas with Robert Mace, Executive Director & Chief Water Policy Officer, with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Recorded webinar, Robert & Ricardo's PowerPoint, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Water Conservation webpage, Ricardo Briones's research PDF, Texas Water Development Board Rainwater Harvesting webpage, Texas Water Resource Institute Our Work and Our Events webpage, Texas Care of Texas legalities and financial incentives webpage, Take Care of Texas rainwater harvesting system guide

Texas Waters program is supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Sport Fish Restoration Program funds.