LUCAS SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

The Lucas Soil & Water Conservation District is a subdivision of state government that promotes best management practices of natural resources within Lucas County, Ohio. Whether through a classroom, a rain garden, or a 500-acre farm conservation project -- we're here to help you care for our local soil and water!

Farmer's Corner

Interested in learning more about assistance programs, open bids on land or equipment, or nutrient management information?
Find it here!

Become an Affiliate

Our conservation work depends on our ability to secure grants and voluntary funding from the Lucas County Commissioners, local townships and municipalities, and individual
donors like you.
Want to support the District??
Learn more here!

Get Informed

Check out the latest edition of our bi-annual newsletter, Conservation News! Want the next newsletter sent directly to you? Contact us here to receive a digital or paper copy of Conservation News.

NEWS & EVENTS

If you have questions or would like to apply for the
Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program, contact
Lucas SWCD's Area Conservation Technician,
Matthew Browne, at (419) 893-1966 ext. 3#
or (419) 377-0901 (work cell).

New Senate Bill 299 Programs

Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program

The Ohio Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Lucas SWCD, is providing funding for new assistance programs for NW Ohio farmers to help protect water quality in the western Lake Erie basin. The Ohio Working Lands Small Grains Program will encourage producers to add wheat or other small grain into their rotation, spread manure on available acres, and establish a cover crop. For more information, visit our Farm Conservation page.

**Sign-up April 15, 2019 - June 1, 2019

Grass Carp: Best Management Practices

It is important to know how to manage Grass Carp, or White Amur, in your pond responsibly. Grass Carp are the only species of Asian Carp allowed to be sold in Ohio, and they must be certified as sterile (triploid) so they cannot reproduce.

Grass Carp are used by pond-owners to control aquatic vegetation without the use of herbicides; however, this can prove costly if these fish enter natural waterways where native fish and other wildlife depend on vegetation for food and protection.

If you are interested in purchasing Grass Carp for your pond this spring, please seek a reputable fish dealer who will only distribute sterile Grass Carp. For a list of reputable dealers, contact the ODNR Division of Wildlife at 1-800-WILDLIFE. Soil & Water Conservation Districts that sell Grass Carp through their Fish Sale are also sourced from an approved dealer. To view/download the Fact Sheet, click here.

**The Lucas SWCD no longer offers Grass Carp through our Fish Sales because the species is not native to Ohio and poses a risk of becoming an invasive species that alters native ecosystems.