Polk SWCD
Partners
Watersheds
Water Quality
- The Polk County Soil & Water Conservation District was established in 1945 to promote the protection, maintenance, improvement, and wise use of the soil and water within Polk County, Iowa.
- Polk SWCD is led by five elected commissioners, who hold their positions for a term of 2 or 4 years.Â
- Polk SWCD works together with our partners from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), and others to provide financial and technical assistance in conserving our soil, water, and other natural resources.
- Polk SWCD is involved in several Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs) in central Iowa.Â
- WMAs are a mechanism for cities, counties, SWCDs, and stakeholders to cooperatively engage in watershed planning and management.
- Working with farmers and landowners to improve water quality through best management practices (BPMs) such as cover crops and edge-of-field practices such as bioreactors and saturated buffers.