Watauga Soil & Water Conservation District

02/13/2025

Congratulations to our Poster Contest winners! This year's theme was Wetlands Are Wonderful.

In order of appearance:

Bethel Elementary School Winners
Silas King, honorable mention
Xion Bruner, honorable mention
Easton Eldreth, 3rd place
Estee Martin, 2nd place
Maggie Soto, 1st place

Cove Creek School Winners
Decian Smith, 3rd place
Jason Brown, 2nd place (right in photo)
Damien Johnson, 1st place (left in photo)

Our overall county winners will automatically be advanced to the Area Contest. Congrats to our County Winners:

Damien Johnson, 3rd in County
Easton Eldreth, 2nd in County
Maggie Soto, 1st in County

Well done, future conservationists!

01/22/2025

We're hiring! Visit the link to view the posting for Conservation Technician and to see application options. The application deadline is February 3rd, 2025.

01/16/2025

Spring is just around the corner, and we're greeting the next season with our annual Tree Seedling Sale!

Order by March 28th, while supplies last. Give us a call or stop by for more information!

01/16/2025

Once again, landowners have the opportunity to care for streams by planting live stakes, for free!

After planting, live stakes will grow into small shrubs and trees that can help to stabilize streambanks, prevent future bank erosion, provide wildlife habitat, absorb excess nutrients, and lower the water temperature by shading the stream.

Registration is required by Feb. 20th. Pick up for Watauga is at the Ag Conference Center. We hope to see you there!

Thanks so much to our partners for providing this opportunity! Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development and New River Conservancy

01/10/2025

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Watauga County is conducting a comprehensive stream assessment to identify and address issues impacting our waterways. This effort is part of our commitment to recovery and resilience, ensuring the safety of our community and the health of our natural resources. Watauga County Soil and Water Conservation District has begun compiling data for use by several potential state and federal programs. We invite residents to assist by reporting any stream blockages, erosion concerns, or other waterway-related issues through our Google Form linked below. Your input is invaluable in helping us document these areas in need of attention.

Please self-report any instances of stream or waterway impacts here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNt0faoS9J8rItRr3XH75txm6GMuSe1YgCQfYewKuI7f24zQ/viewform

Please be aware that Watauga County is being assisted by other counties to conduct stream assessments during the months of January and February. All vehicles assisting will be marked with county seals or other identifying signs.

12/19/2024

We are helping our partners at Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development determine interest in a winter livestake giveaway this year. If you are interested in using livestakes to help stabilize your streambanks, please send an email with your contact information to [email protected].

12/18/2024

If you lost farm equipment or tools during Helene, please see this important resource that just became available from FEMA. The deadline to submit is January 7th.

North Carolina farmers and ranch hands whose tools or equipment were damaged by Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for disaster assistance. FEMA aid is available to replace disaster-damaged essential tools, supplies, equipment and items required for your job or self-employment. The deadline to ap...

12/03/2024

Join Watauga SWCD and other agencies serving farmers and landowners on December 19th 6pm - 8pm for a round-robin on Helene relief resources. Sign up here!

Helene Info from your Watauga County Agencies: Cooperative Extension, NC Forest Service, Farm Service Agency, NRCS, Soil & Water, and BRWIA

10/08/2024

We've created a form for Watauga County farmers and landowners to report natural resources issues related to Helene (streambank erosion, stream-clogging debris, etc.).

Please download the form and return it as listed at the bottom: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jwi3YEFsIWhO0_vuFSJko_4zKsAfVjql/view?usp=sharing

If state and federal programs become available to assist with these issues, our office will contact you. Again, you must DOWNLOAD the form to fill it out, or stop by our office to fill it out in person.