ISSUES AND PRACTICES

There are four major categories of issues that the Delaware County SWCD seeks to address in our community and in East Central Indiana. We aim to address these issues with the accompanying Best Management Practices.

Agricultural Land

ISSUES

Decrease in Soil Heath

  • Loss of soil structure, loss of organic matter, erosion, and increased compaction.

  • Contributing factors from Agricultural land

  • Contributing factors from Non-Agricultural land

PRACTICES

On Agricultural Land – encourage landowners and/or operators to:

  • No-till corn on present tilled corn acres

  • No-till wheat

  • Install buffers - i.e. filter strips, grassed waterways, etc.

  • Utilize nutrient and pest management plans on cropland acres

  • Utilize manure management plans

  • Utilize fencing to exclude livestock from streams, creeks, etc.

  • Utilize rotational grazing systems

  • Utilize cover crops


Ecological Land

ISSUES

Photo: http://www.sicim.info/

  • Degradation of native habitat

  • Invasive Species

    • Negative impact to wildlife

    • Negative impact to beneficial insects

    • Negative economic impact

PRACTICES

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  • Mechanical invasive removal

  • Wildlife and pollinator habitat plantings

  • Identify and manage invasive species

  • Establish tree plantings

  • Assist city as they work to improve urban forest cover



Water Resources

ISSUES

Photo: https://conservationdistrict.org/

  • sediment in streams

  • modification of channels

  • health of fish and aquatic life

PRACTICES

Photo: https://www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com

  • Natural Channel Design




Land use and Planning


ISSUES

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  • Sprawl/fragmentation

  • leap frog development patterns

  • incompatible land use mixes and

  • development in woodlands

  • degradation

    • Loss of prime farmland

    • Loss of productive forest lands

    • Loss of wildlife and pollinator habitat

  • Excessive costs to provide infrastructure and services

PRACTICES

Photo: https://www.grandhotel.com/

  • Encourage development in blighted or vacated areas rather than agricultural lands or greenfields in rural Delaware County



Other Partnership Issues

ISSUES

Photo: Wikipedia

Other Land Users

  • Cooperate with all city and county government agencies to incorporate conservation practices and technologies into all land use activities.

  • Assist county health department as they promote proper septic system maintenance to reduce contamination from failing septic systems

  • Educate homeowners about conservation practices (i.e. rain barrels, water quality, septic system management, etc.)


PRACTICES

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  • Delaware County Well Head Protection Program

  • Extend the multi-use trail at Prairie Creek Reservoir northward to the beach area