Free Land Stewardship and Water Resource Protection Workshop Set for Big Elm Creek Watershed
Residents of the Big Elm Creek watershed are invited to attend a free educational workshop focusing on land stewardship and water resource protection on September 17, 2026.
TEMPLE, TX — Residents of the Big Elm Creek watershed are invited to attend a free educational workshop focusing on land stewardship and water resource protection on September 17, 2026.
The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Blackland Research and Extension Center, located at 720 East Blackland Road in Temple. Hosted by the Lone Star Healthy Streams (LSHS) program alongside guest speakers, the workshop is designed for rural landowners and anyone interested in local land and water management across the 305-square-mile watershed, which spans Bell, Milam, Falls, and McLennan counties.
Participation is entirely free, and lunch will be provided for all attendees.
Event Highlights & Benefits
- Free Soil Testing: Attendees can bring up to two soil samples (from pasture, hay, or rangeland areas) to the meeting. The LSHS program will cover the testing costs and transport the samples to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory.
- Continuing Education: Participants can earn one General Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit.
- Expert Instruction: Learn proven best management practices to help reduce surface water pollution and improve soil health.
- Actionable Planning: Gain hands-on guidance on building an operation-specific management plan.
Featured Agenda & Speakers
- Watersheds, Water Quality, and Grazing Livestock Best Management Practices — Leanne Jackson, AgriLife Extension program specialist and LSHS coordinator, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
- Big Elm Creek Watershed Protection Plan Update — Matt Stellbauer, watershed coordinator, Texas Water Resources Institute, Bryan-College Station.
- Principles of Land Stewardship and Building a Management Plan — Chase Brooks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Water & Soil Quality & Conservation — Brian Kock, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Wharton.
How to Register & Soil Sample Instructions
Space is filling up, and interested individuals are asked to RSVP to the Bell County AgriLife office:
- Contact: Megan Cline
- Phone: 254-933-5305
- Email: meagan.cline@ag.tamu.edu
For soil sampling, attendees should follow instructions available on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory website or contact their local county extension agent for assistance before bringing samples to the event.
Contact Information
For further questions about the program, reach out to any of the following coordinators:
- Megan Cline: meagan.cline@ag.tamu.edu | 254-933-5305
- Leanne Jackson: leanne.jackson@ag.tamu.edu | 979-321-5950
- Matt Stellbauer: Matt.Stellbauer@ag.tamu.edu | 979-314-8115
- Josh Evans (Milam County): joshua.evans@ag.tamu.edu | 254-697-7045
