Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District

Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout the state provide financial incentives to landowners to implement conservation practices.

History of the Soil and Water Conservation Program
In the 1930s, as the Dust Bowl swept across the nation relocating an estimated 300 million tons of soil, Americans realized the devastating effects of soil erosion. Legislation began to take shape to better manage and conserve the nation’s soil. Despite these actions, Missouri was still plagued with high erosion rates. In 1982, Missouri was losing

soil at a rate of 10.9 tons per acre each year on cultivated cropland. A one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax was passed by Missouri voters in 1984 to fund state parks and soil and water conservation efforts. Prior to the passage of the sales tax, Missouri had the second highest rate of erosion in the nation. Almost two-thirds of Missouri voters renewed the tax in 1988 and 1996. In 2006, the tax passed by its highest percentage to date (70.8). Since 1982, Missouri’s erosion rate dropped more than any other state. It is estimated that more than 148 million tons of soil have been saved since the start of the sales tax, but millions of tons of soil still wash away every year on cultivated cropland in Missouri. The majority of the soils side of this tax has been used to assist agricultural landowners through voluntary programs that are developed by the Soil and Water Districts Commission. They are administered by the Soil and Water Conservation Program through district boards in each of the 114 counties. The cost-share program provides financial incentives to landowners for up to 75 percent of the cost for installation of soil conservation practices that prevent or control excessive erosion. Soil and water conservation districts provide technical support with the design, implementation and maintenance of practices. By promoting good farming techniques that help keep soil on the fields and waters clean, each soil and water conservation district is conserving the productivity of Missouri’s working lands.

07/16/2026

Soil and Water Conservation Program distributes nearly $45 million to Missouri landowners

Release Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 - JEFFERSON CITY, MO, July 14, 2026.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Soil and Water Conservation Program provided nearly $45 million to Missouri landowners in fiscal year 2026, saving more than 924,000 tons of soil. Since the first passage of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax in 1984, this funding source has allowed Missouri to prevent more than 195 million tons of soil erosion while also improving the state’s water quality and keeping farmland productive.

“These results show Missouri continues to be at the national forefront when it comes to investing in our farms and agricultural community to make a positive difference,” said Jim Plassmeyer, director of the Soil and Water Conservation Program. “Accomplishing this goal was the hard work of our commissioners, program staff, the 114 soil and water conservation districts and our federal partners at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.”

During the 2026 fiscal year, nearly $45 million in funding provided a total of 5,736 cost-share contracts to agricultural landowners implementing soil and water conservation efforts on their land. This included 2,511 cover crop contracts addressing 148,000 acres, 455 terrace contracts saving 330,000 tons of soil, 37,000 grazing acres managed through rotation grazing and protecting 21 miles of streams through livestock exclusions and streambank stabilization projects. The remaining $24 million of the $68 million provided by the Parks, Soils and Water Sale Tax supports local soil and water conservation district operations, technical assistance, program administration, research, conservation monitoring and other essential services to deliver the program statewide.

MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program receives funding from the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax to assist farmers and landowners. Each year the program provides partial financial assistance for construction of management practices that aid in the prevention or control of excessive erosion and improvement of water quality. Each of Missouri’s 114 county-level soil and water conservation districts additionally provide hands-on technical assistance, education and best practices for their local agricultural landowners and operators.

Visit Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax to learn more about the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. You can also visit Mo Soil and Water to find your county’s soil and water conservation district or learn more about MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program at Missouri Geological Survey Soil and Water Conservation Program.

Contact Information:

Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
United States
Main - 573-751-1010
Toll-free - 800-361-4827
Email - [email protected]

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Left to right: Cheyenne Bouldin, Reese Johnson, Andy McCorkill, Lynette Miller, Tim Brownfield, Jerry Duff, Jim Hamilton...
06/23/2026

Left to right: Cheyenne Bouldin, Reese Johnson, Andy McCorkill, Lynette Miller, Tim Brownfield, Jerry Duff, Jim Hamilton, Debbie Henderson.

03/17/2026
Dallas County Board of Supervisors Election
01/29/2026

Dallas County Board of Supervisors Election

Address

1240 West Truman
Buffalo, MO
65622

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14173452312

Website

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