Soil & Water Conservation week is April 26 – May 3

Walking paths and benches were added to the rain garden behind the Community Center hockey rink. Stormwater runoff collects in the rain garden to slow and clean the water and native plants offer habitat for local wildlife species and citizen viewing enjoyment.

Across the United States, nearly 3,000 Soil and Water Conservation Districts—almost one in every county—are helping local people conserve land, water, forests, wildlife and other natural resources. The Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District is proud to be a part of this locally led, voluntary movement, serving as a resource for landowners and farmers of Cook County for more than 40 years.

Born in the wake of the Dust Bowl, SWCDs have been involved in delivering conservation across America for more than 70 years. Because Minnesota has a wide variety of landscapes and conservation needs, each district operates at the direction of five locally elected board supervisors. Cook County SWCD members are Jim Hall, David Berglund, Don Goodell, Joan Farnam, and Jerry Hiniker.

Here in our county, the SWCD is engaged in a number of local conservation initiatives, including: stream bank stabilization projects on the Flute Reed River and Poplar River, countywide rain garden installation to treat and slow stormwater runoff and soon-to-be implemented, shoreline erosion reduction projects.

As part of Stewardship Week, Theresa Oberg of Cook County SWCD reminds citizens that we have a connection to natural resources. “We all live downstream from somebody, and someone else lives downstream from us. Keeping community waters clean takes effort from everyone. From huge fields to small lawns, people who protect soil from erosion and apply chemicals carefully are doing their part to keep waters clean. When you turn off unused lights or buy an energy-efficient appliance, you not only save energy and money, you also conserve precious water.”

The Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District asks you to join with others to make your watershed a healthier place to live, said Oberg.

To learn more about what Cook County SWCD is doing and how you can partner in their efforts, visit the website at www.cookswcd.org or call at 218-387-3647.