Clean Waters Initiative: Microplastics in Surface Waters Workshop

Clean Waters Initiative: Microplastics in Surface Waters Workshop is sponsored by Houston-Galveston Area Council. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Clean Waters Initiative Workshops | Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Clean Waters Initiative Workshops Clean water is crucial to our region's environment, economy, and quality of life. The Clean Waters Initiative (CWI) program offers workshops that help local governments, landowners, and residents develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in area waterways.

UPDATE: The Clean Waters Initiative workshop scheduled for Monday, Monday, January 26, 2026 will be virtual only on Zoom! The virtual meeting will be hosted on Zoom. Register to Attend Online Microplastics in Surface Waters Agenda and Speaker Information Agenda and Speaker Information Addressing Contact Recreation Impairments Todd Running, Houston-Galveston Area Council Fecal Source Tracking: A Molecular Perspective Jorge W.

Santo Domingo, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency History of Microbial Source Tracking Use in Texas Terry J. Gentry, Ph. D.

Professor, Texas A&M University Tracking the Source of Fecal Contamination to Western Galveston Bay Michael LaMontagne, University of Houston Clear Lake Applying Rapid Indicator Methods and Advances in Source Tracking in California Coastal Waters Joshua A.

Steele, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Public Health Considerations when Assessing Contact Recreation: Integrating MST-QMRA Anna Gitter, University of Texas Health Houston School of Public Health On-site Sewage Facility Management Agenda and Speaker Information H-GAC's Homeowner Wastewater Assistance Program Bill Ervin, Houston-Galveston Area Council On-Site Sewage Facility Mapping Tool Jessie Casillas, Houston-Galveston Area Council NCTCOG On-Site Sewage Facility Data Collection Alyssa Knox, North Central Texas Council of Governments Texas A&M AgriLife Extension OSSF Programs & Resources Dr. Anish Jantrania, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Randy Chelette, Texas On-Site Wastewater Association Green Infrastructure and Stormwater Management Welcome and Event Kick-off Justin Bower, Director, Community and Environmental Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council Green Infrastructure Overview Steven Johnston, Principal Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council Low Impact Development (LID) Construction and Performance Evaluation in the City of Houston – Phase II Ryan Bare, Ph.

D.

, CAPM Research Scientist and Nature Based-Solutions Program Manager, Houston Advanced Research Center Floating Treatment Wetlands: A pilot-study and large-scale field trial of the stormwater treatment potential in urban catchments in a subtropical environment Kaylei Chau, Research Associate, Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake Green Infrastructure Efficacy Project Steven Johnston, Principal Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council Sustainable Solutions: Learnings from Navigating the Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development Landscape Isham Khan, Director of Product Management, Stormwater Products, Greenrise Technologies Stormwater Programs and Impaired Waters Welcome and Event Kick-off Onyinye Akujuo and Todd Running, Houston-Galveston Area Council Recipe for Success!

A Joint Stormwater Management Program Story Liz Stone, CPESC, and Camila Biaggi, ENV SP, CFM, Quiddity Engineering City of Austin MS4 and TMDL Programs Julie White, City of Austin Collaboration Between Agencies that Assembled a Funding Method to Successfully Abandon Failing Septic Tanks in Underserved Communities Making a Splash with MS4 Compliance: Navigating the Waters of Environmental Responsibility Alexandra O’Connor, CISEC, and Rachel Henderson, CISEC-IT, City of San Marcos TPDES MS4 Permitting and Impaired Water Bodies Macayla Coleman, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Conservation and Riparian Areas Banking on Conservation: Riparian Areas and Water Quality City of Houston Riparian Restoration Initiative Kelli Ondracek, Houston Parks and Recreation Department Hanson Park: How Inter-Agency Partnerships Can Benefit Everyone Bryan Frazier, Brazoria County Parks Department The Upper San Jacinto River Basin Regional Sedimentation Study Briana Gallagher, San Jacinto River Authority Education, Outreach, and Volunteer Coordination Agenda and Speaker Information Engaging the Public In Education, Outreach, and Volunteering for Water Resources Protection Better Public Engagement Practices Agenda and Speaker Information Engaging the Watershed Community:Asking the Public to Care about Water Quality Charriss York,TAMU Texas Coastal Watershed Program Cease the Grease:Utilizing Multifaceted Community Outreach Programs to Engage the Public Kaitlin Grable, Galveston Bay Foundation Engaging, Inspiring, and Educating the Public Through Unique Coastal Experiences Amanda Rinehart, Artist Boat Estuary Programs and Freshwater Inflows Agenda and Speaker Information Fish, Shrimp, Crabs and Freshwater – Life in a Dynamic Estuary Dr. George Guillen, Environmental Institute of Houston From Droughts to Floods: An Overview of Freshwater Inflows to the Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary Caimee Schoenbaechler, Texas Water Development Board Galveston Bay: Changing Land Use Patterns and Nutrient Loading Rachel Windham, Texas A&M - Galveston Evaluation of Adopted SB3 Flow Standards for the Trinity River Webster Mangum, Trinity River Authority Estuary Programs and Freshwater Inflows Agenda and Speaker Information Fish, Shrimp, Crabs and Freshwater – Life in a Dynamic Estuary Dr. George Guillen, Environmental Institute of Houston From Droughts to Floods: An Overview of Freshwater Inflows to the Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary Caimee Schoenbaechler, Texas Water Development Board Galveston Bay: Changing Land Use Patterns and Nutrient Loading Rachel Windham, Texas A&M - Galveston Evaluation of Adopted SB3 Flow Standards for the Trinity River Webster Mangum, Trinity River Authority Funding Sources for Water and Wastewater-related Infrastructure Event Program and Speaker Information H-GAC Wastewater Assistance (OSSF SEP) Program Brian Sims, Houston-Galveston Area Council Gulf Coast Economic Development District Program Joshua Owens, Houston-Galveston Area Council Sabrina Glenn, US.

Department of Agriculture Scott Galaway, Texas Water Development Board H-GAC’s Effort To Improve the Region’s Water Quality Agenda and Speaker Information H-GAC’s Effort To Improve the Region’s Water Quality H-GAC staff provided overviews about the water quality programs H-GAC is supporting to improve the region’s waters. Attendees discussed watershed-specific topics in one of three breakout rooms.

The Big Creek breakout room was led by Justin Bower. Cotton Bayou Breakout Room Attendees discussed watershed-specific topics in one of three breakout rooms. The Cotton Bayou breakout room was led by Rachel Windham.

Watershed-based Plans Breakout Room Attendees discussed watershed-specific topics in one of three breakout rooms. The general Watershed-based Plans breakout room was led by Steven Johnston. Agenda and Speaker Information Habitat & Marsh Restoration MS4 Minimum Control Measures Event Program and Speaker Information Planning Ahead: Long-Term Planning for Stormwater Management R.

G.

Miller Engineers, Inc. No Presentation Available Stormwater Mapping & Successful Illicit Discharge Detection Port of Houston Authority Be Proactive: Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations and Maintenance New Technologies for Operator Compliance MS4 Minimum Control Measures Workshop Event Program and Speaker Information Practical Housekeeping Measures for Municipal Utility Districts & Small Cities Michael Gurka, Jones/Carter Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program Elaine Savage, Harris County Pollution Control Services Department Stormwater Pollution Minimization Plans Robert Snoza, Harris County Flood Control Department Floatable Materials Control Rick Masters, Jr., Contractor for City of Pasadena Navigating Texas Water Development Board Grants and Loans for Water and Wastewater Agenda and Speaker Information TWDB Financial Assistance Programs Overview Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan Clean Water State Revolving Fund Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Texas Water Development Fund Economically Distressed Areas Program Texas Water Development Board - Project Information Form (access via Online Loan Application and Word Document) Regional Water Project Development Teams Need to Contact Information for Regional Teams?

Water Resources Information Map (WRIM) Watershed Based Plans Web Page On-site Sewage Facility Remediation Projects Event Program and Speaker Information East Aldine District Water-Sewe Capital Improvements Plan H-GAC Homeowner Wastewater Assistance Program Inventory and Mapping of OSSFs in the Coastal Zone Trends & Technology in Wastewater Treatment Event Program and Speaker Information Flare Reduction Field Trial: Cost Effective Flare Gas & VOC Reduction Loy Sneary, Gulf Coast Green Energy Recycling and Re-Using Produced Water: Cutting Edge Technology Adapted for New Water Resources David Burnett, Global Petroleum Research Institute (Texas A&M University) Using WBPs to Improve Water Quality Steven Johnston, Houston-Galveston Area Council Status Update for H-GAC Total Maximum Daily Load Studies Becki Begley, Houston-Galveston Area Council Implementing Watershed-based Plans in Coastal Communities Brian Koch, Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board Demonstrating Water Quality Improvements through Agricultural Initiatives Agenda and Speaker Information Water Quality and Public Health Swimming-Related Health Risks and Recreational Water Quality Criteria Kate Lavelle, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Waterborne Diseases and Public Health Implications Elya Franciscus, MPH, Harris County Public Health Public Health Protection Programs in the City of Houston – Water Quality Lisa Montemayor, City of Houston Health Department and LaNiece Blue, City of Houston Health Department Fight the Bite – Applying Remote Sensing Technologies to Detect Mosquito Breeding Habitats Sarah M Gunter, PhD, MPH, National School of Tropical Medicine Water Quality and Transportation Adrienne Boer,Texas Department of Transportation Results from First Statewide MS4 Annual Report Nick Russo, Harris County Engineering Department Stormwater Management Techniques for Urban Roadways Vishu Lingala, Houston-Galveston Area Council 2045 Regional Transportation Plan Would you like to contact us about this topic?

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