Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Districts are the heart and soul of conservation at the local level. They are subdivisions of state government led by a five-member board of supervisors. Each of Indiana’s 92 counties has a SWCD all having the same primary goal of putting effective conservation practices on the ground. Some of the conservation practices that SWCDs help to implement include:
- Keeping soil in the field and out of waterways,
- Conserving and restoring wetlands,
- Protecting groundwater and surface water from pollutants,
- Planting trees and grasses to hold the soil in place at the same time those trees and grasses are providing cover for wildlife,
- Assisting developers while they are under construction, by providing guidance concerning soil loss runoff.
History of SWCD’s
In 1937, after hearing a compelling testimony on Capitol Hill by soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett regarding the erosion problem in America, President Roosevelt wrote the governors of all of the states recommending legislation that would allow landowners to form soil conservation districts. In 1940 a group of landowners in Knox County, Indiana came together to form our SWCD.
What do we do?
- Work to conserve our natural resources.
- Provide technical information to farmers.
- Provide technical information to the public.