The Clean Water Indiana funded rain garden project is slated to begin in the summer of 2011. Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff will design and install a dozen rain gardens and provide cost share for plants and materials. The District will hire an intern through Vincennes University to help with the project.
In 2010, the Sullivan, Greene and Knox County SWCDs received a Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative from the NRCS to address irrigation-related water quality issues in the three counties. Fourteen contracts have been written for irrigation scheduling and system efficiency assessments on 2,199 acres.
Another conservation issue has been addressed through a Clean Water Indiana (CWI) grant. The Pike, Daviess, and Knox County SWCDs received a 2011 CWI grant to hire a part time technician who will provide technical assistance for local, state and federal conservation programs.
The District recently began a public relations campaign with The Original Company, a local broadcast media company. The Original Company is running up to 10 public service announcements per day on a variety of conservation-related topics.
The SWCD also recently completed a county-wide water quality survey in partnership with Vincennes University. The water quality data collected will enable the District to prioritize its water quality improvement activities and will serve as a baseline in future water quality studies.
The Knox County SWCD will begin an invasive species mapping project in the summer of 2011, and will hire an intern through Vincennes University to help with the project. The intern will work closely with the Southern Indiana Cooperative Weed Management Area to report invasive infestations and will help landowners find the resources needed for eradicating infestations.