Soil and Water Conservation

Across towns and counties, road departments replace cross culverts every day. The motivation is usually sound. Aging pipes fail without warning, and a collapse beneath the roadway can create a serious safety hazard, not to mention an expensive emergency repair. Proactive replacement is responsible a…

In many cases, wetlands announce themselves clearly with standing water, saturated soils, and soft, mucky ground. However, some of the most regulated and environmentally sensitive wetlands are far less obvious. They may appear dry for much of the year, support grasses and shrubs, and even look suita…

A Look at the English Brook Delta in Lake George, New York Sediment is a natural part of any water system, but when it accumulates faster than a system can handle, it begins to change the waterbody in ways that are both visible and subtle. Excess sediment alters water clarity, transports nutrients, …

For decades, the ideal suburban yard has been defined by a single image, a uniform carpet of bright green grass, edged with ornamental shrubs and kept pristine through fertilizers, pesticides, and frequent watering. It is neat, predictable, and widely accepted as a symbol of care and success. But fr…

Wetlands are often described as the kidneys of the watershed because they filter, slow, and transform the water that passes through them in ways that protect downstream ecosystems. This comparison is more than a poetic metaphor. It captures the essential truth that wetlands perform quiet but powerfu…

Harmful algal blooms have become one of the most pressing water quality problems in many regions, and their rise has been linked to a complicated blend of ecological, climatic, and human factors. In freshwater systems, these blooms are most often caused by cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue green…

Natural streams, creeks, and drainage swales evolved to carry rainfall runoff long before culverts and pipes existed, and they remain one of the most efficient, resilient, and cost-effective elements in any municipal stormwater network. When a community plans for development or retrofit, treating th…

Stormwater management succeeds when the landscape itself is considered the first line of defense. Certain parts of that landscape offer outsized benefits or face outsized risks, and thoughtful planning around them is essential. Special Value Features are areas that deliver exceptional stormwater ben…

Riparian corridors, the vegetated strips that border rivers, streams, and lakes, serve as protective edges for both land and water. They filter pollutants, stabilize banks, slow floodwaters, recharge groundwater, and create habitat highways for fish and wildlife. When these corridors are degraded by…

Hydric soils, those that form under prolonged saturation and develop anaerobic conditions, are ecological powerhouses. They store carbon, filter pollutants, support wetlands, and buffer floods. Because they are already close to saturation, even modest increases in runoff volume or velocity can trigg…

Geocells, also known as cellular confinement systems, have become a trusted solution in the design and maintenance of modern drainage infrastructure. These innovative materials provide structural stability to soils and aggregates, making them particularly useful in applications where erosion control…

What exactly is an SWCD? Created under state law in every state and most U.S. territories, nearly 3,000 locally led Soil and Water Conservation Districts now cover almost every county in the nation. Their boards, typically a mix of farmers, municipal officials, and at-large residents, design and del…