Resources & Educational Information

Since 2010 the Conservation District has assessed over 250 miles of major rivers and streams in our county. Nottawa Creek along the Rocky, Portage, Pigeon, St.Joseph, and Fawn Rivers have all been evaluated and cleaned through the years. Over 8 dumpsters have been filled with debris collected during these efforts. Waste Management (WM) has provided the district with a dumpster each year and Cobalt has arranged a bulk tire pickup at the end of every season. Abbott Nutrition, Monsanto, and International Paper have sponsored individual cleanups with over 75 volunteers. We are proud to work alongside our community and facilitate opportunities to participate in restorative efforts. 

 The annual tree sale is one of the Conservation District's largest fundraising events of the year.  The revenue from the sales assists the District in being able to educate, run programs, and offer services to community members. 

The St. Joseph County Conservation District has a Truax No-Till Drill available to rent. It is $65 for the first 5 acres and $5 per every additional acre. When you rent, there is a manual that is sent with it but you can now watch a quick tutorial instead (less than 7 minutes)! 

 Irrigation water management is the process of determining and  controlling the volume, frequency, and application rate of irrigation  water in a planned, efficient manner. 

 This standard applies to the planning and functional design of all sprinkler system components (e.g., laterals, risers, nozzles, heads, and pressure regulators).  

Farmland Development Rights Agreements  are temporary restrictions on the land between the State and a landowner, voluntarily entered into by a landowner, preserving their land for agriculture in exchange for certain tax benefits and exemptions for various special assessments  (commonly known as  PA 116). 

 The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers a free service to retrieve soils data on any property in the United States.   Select the link below to be directed to the NRCS free web soil survey.  Just click the big green button to get started.

For more information: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/