COVID-19 at the Soil and Water Conservation District

Ginger Davis, Conservation Administrator
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During this unprecedented situation while we are directed to stay at home and self-isolate to curb the spread of COVID-19, we want to ensure you that we are still available to the public to help with conservation efforts.  The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District is doing its part to help direct people to conservation resources and technical assistance, but in a slightly different way.  We are still operating as an essential service and preforming required duties to ensure our directives are met.  The purpose of a Soil and Water Conservation District, or SWCD (also referred to simply as a district), is to provide information about soil, water and related natural resource conservation; identify and prioritize local soil and water resource concerns; and connect land users to sources of educational, technical, and financial assistance in order to implement conservation practices and technologies. 

At this time of year, we typically are out at site visits and assisting the public with technical assistance while also providing conservation education and leadership. We will still go visit sites, but may ask to do it alone and for landowners to stay inside and follow up with phone or email message. We are still available for appointments and will still be providing technical assistance.  We may have individuals submit videos or pictures of issues first to help us direct services better.  We will still assist you to the best of our abilities while ensuring our staff and partners are safe during this time.

We recognize the importance of social distancing and want to ensure the health and safety of our community. Unfortunately many of our workshops and events have been cancelled or put on hold. We are doing our best to look for alternative and creative ways to conduct our meetings, hold informational sessions, and gather input from our community. If you have ideas of topics you would like information about, please let us know.

It is the policy of the general assembly through the Soil and Water Conservation District to provide for the proper management of soil and water resources, the control and prevention of soil erosion, the prevention of flood water and sediment damage, the prevention of water quality impairment, and the conservation, development, use, and disposal of water in the watersheds of Indiana to accomplish the following:
(1) Conserve the natural resources, including wildlife.
(2) Control floods.
(3) Prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs.
(4) Assist in maintaining the navigability of rivers and harbors.
(5) Protect the water quality of lakes and streams.
(6) Protect the tax base.
(7) Protect public land.
(8) Protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Indiana.
(9) Protect a high quality water resource.
(10) Protect and improve soil quality.

If you see or have a conservation or natural resource concern, please reach out for help.  We will do our best to connect you with the right resource to address the issue, reach out to the right partner for help, or refer you to the best course of action to address this natural resource concern.  Please email soil.water@hamiltoncounty.in.gov, or call (317) 773-2181.  If we do not answer the phone, please leave a message and we will get back to you within one business day.

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