Mobile River visits Austin next week

Next week, from Aug. 15-16, the Texas Colorado River Rolling Exhibit brings water conservation education to Barton Springs Pool. Dedicated to bringing “a water-science-center-on-wheels and classroom curriculum directly to the schools of 7th graders in the Texas Colorado River basin,” the 42-foot trailer contains interactive models and educational video games to help Austin Independent School District students learn about water conservation, Texas ecoregions and weathering, watershed precipitation and runoff, and watershed pollution. R. Brent Lyles, executive director of the Colorado River Alliance, which has worked with Austin Water Utility and AISD on the project, said he hopes the program has a broader impact. “We’re not just teaching 7th graders about water science and river stewardship, we’re also opening their eyes to future careers in water and wastewater engineering and management,” he said. The mobile lab also tours community events, and will be nearby twice in the next two weeks. The first appearance will be at LakeFest in Marble Falls this weekend, from Aug. 11-13. The Barton Springs session Aug. 15-16 is open to the public.