Our Programs and Activities
Our educational efforts of the Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) involve trying to inform landowners of the benefits of conservation practices and also trying to point out how to prevent some of the common problems such as excessive soil erosion and degrading water quality. Muc of our education is one a one-to-one basis, but a lot of it is also done with organized programs open to the public.
Adult Education
This past year we began coordinating with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Decatur and Bartholomew County SWCDs to promote the On-Farm Network. Farmers who participate in this program are provided assistance for recording management decisions, mapping fields, and tissue testing to document management and yields. The goal is to help producers maximize yields and find the optimum amount of fertilizers needed to provide the greatest efficiency.
Cost-Share Programs
As an incentive for farmers to apply conservation practices, the District seeks grants that may provide incentive payments or cost-share to help offset farmers' cost of applying practices. In recent years, funds have been available for watersheds that are identified as 'high priority.' The East Fork of the White River Watershed has been identified as a major contributor to the hypoxia (dead zone) in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sand Creek is a major tributary of the East Fork of the White River. Special cost-share funds have been available through several state and federal programs, and usually involve working on a watershed basis with adjoining counties. The Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program has been used for several years and provided nearly $400,000 in cost-share and incentive funds for the Sand Creek Watershed. This is a state program administered by local SWCDs.
We also used Section 319 funds which originate with the U.S. EPA and are administered in Indiana by IDEM. Local Districts set priorities and administer funds locally. These funds have been used in the Sand Creek Watershed and are currently available for the Central Muscatatuck Watershed in southern Jennings County.
The SWCD also competes for Clean Water Indiana grants from the state of Indiana. These funds are used to provide incentives for conservation practices. In 2011 they were used for cover crop application. Recently we were named as co-recipients of two CWI grants along with Decatur and Bartholomew County SWCDs, and another grant with the Jefferson, Scott and Jackson County SWCDs. These grants totalled $120,000 and provided incentives to apply practices that will improve water quality.