Dixon Water Foundation

Promoting healthy watersheds through sustainable land management

Riparian workshop at Alamito Creek on April 13

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The first Chihuahuan Desert Riparian and Pond Management Workshop will be held at on April 13 at the the Dixon Water Foundation’s Alamito Creek Preserve. This workshop is a collaboration between the foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross State University, Borderlands Research Institute, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Nature Conservancy.

Registration is set from 8:30-9 a.m. at the Marfa National Bank, 301 S. Highland Ave. in Marfa. At 9:15 a.m. participants will caravan to the Alamito Creek Preserve for the remainder of the workshop.

“This workshop will be fast-paced and held in the field on rough terrain and walking to various sites will be required,” said Jesse Lea Schneider, AgriLife Extension agent in Presidio County and a workshop coordinator.

She said proper dress, for example sturdy shoes and a hat, are a must.

“Please bring your own lunch and plenty of water,” she said. “In the event of inclement weather, the workshop will be rescheduled.

“Our Chihuahuan Desert Riparian areas are some of the most misunderstood and underappreciated of the ecosystems. Our hope is to make this an annual event to bring educational opportunities to landowners and enthusiasts across the area.”

Individual registration is $10. RSVP by April 11 by calling 432-295-0342.

Topics and speakers include:

– Introduction to Dixon Water Foundation, Alamito Creek Preserve, Robert Potts, Dixon Water Foundation president and CEO, Presidio County.

– Pond Ecology and Fish Stocking, Peter Woods, AgriLife Extension fisheries program specialist, Bay City.

– Riparian Vegetation and Best Management Practices and Ecohydrology of Streams and Springs, Jeff Bennett, National Park Service physical scientist and hydrologist, Big Bend National Park.

– Linking Pasture to Stream, Dr. Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Fort Stockton.

– Grazing Riparian Zones, Dr. Bonnie Warnock, Sul Ross State University professor, Alpine.

– Water and Wildlife, Benefits and Nuisance Control, Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, San Angelo.

– Waterfowl and Wetland Management in Desert Landscapes, Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Sul Ross assistant professor.

– Farm Bill Programs, Carrie Koennecke, Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist, Marfa.

– Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Landowner Incentive Program and U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, Arleen Kalmback, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department landowner incentive program coordinator, Austin.

– Experiences From a Land Manager, Chase McRory, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department district biologist, Sanderson, and Casey Wade, Dixon Water Foundation manager, Presidio County.

For more information, call Russell Martin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department natural resource specialist, Alpine, at 432-837-2051, ext. 228 or Schneider at 442-295-0342.

Alamito Creek Preserve

 

Playa Field Day on June 24

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The Ogallala Commons and Dixon Water Foundation are hosting a Playa Field Day on Tuesday, June 24, near Nazareth.

The event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning at the Home Mercantile Building, 101 Second St., in Nazareth. Texas Tech researchers will lead the tour of two playas, and those attending should dress appropriately and bring bug spray. There will be opportunities to wade in ankle-deep water to observe species like tadpoles, fairy shrimp, dragonflies and damselflies. The second playa is enrolled in the USDA-NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program and demonstrates improvements conservation efforts make, according to a news release.

There is a $10 fee for a sandwich lunch and refreshments. RSVP to Darryl Birkenfeld at 806-945-2255 to ensure an accurate lunch count.

Dixon sponsors Playa Country radio series on grazing management

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The Dixon Water Foundation is sponsoring an upcoming series of Playa Country radio programs on sustainable grazing management. Playa Country is produced by the Playa Lakes Joint Venture.

Weatherford Democrat spotlights holistic management at Bear Creek

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In Earth Day news, the Weatherford Democrat reports that our work at Bear Creek Unit “sets the standard” for environmentally sustainable ranching.

In “Managing land to protect water,” our Vice President and Board Chairman Clinton Josey describes holistic management as “treating the soil, the plants on the surface, the animals and the ranchers as a whole.”

“It’s a balance, Josey said, and when ranchers consider all the elements, it results in a healthy watershed — the area that drains to a common waterway — and a healthier life for everyone who lives in it.”

Vice President and Board Chairman Clinton Josey described as “treating the soil, the plants on the surface, the animals and the ranchers as a whole.”

It’s a balance, Josey said, and when ranchers consider all the elements, it results in a healthy watershed — the area that drains to a common waterway — and a healthier life for everyone who lives in it.

– See more at: http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/top-news/x296817186/Managing-land-to-protect-water/#sthash.BuYR3UIe.dpuf

It’s a balance, Josey said, and when ranchers consider all the elements, it results in a healthy watershed — the area that drains to a common waterway — and a healthier life for everyone who lives in it. – See more at: http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/top-news/x296817186/Managing-land-to-protect-water/#sthash.BuYR3UIe.dpuf

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4528 County Road 398
Decatur, TX 76234

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Marfa, TX 79843

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