Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District (Ohio)

12/29/2022

Just a reminder that there is no such thing as a flushable wipe.

What “flushable” wipes look like at the Painesville Water Pollution Control Plant

12/23/2022

With the approaching winter storm don't forget to salt sensibly.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to help keep salt out of our streams and more money in your pocket:

Sodium chloride doesn't melt when temperatures are below 15 degrees. Use an alternative deicing product designed to work at colder temperatures or use something like sand to provide traction.

Less is more when it comes to salt. Salt granules should be 3-4 inches apart and should never be used to provide traction.

Stay safe and warm this holiday weekend!

12/22/2022

Happy Holidays and warm wishes for the New Year!

Our offices will be closed December 23 (due to weather), 26-28, 2022, and January 2, 2023.

We will resume normal business operations on December 27-30, 2022 and January 3, 2023.

12/21/2022

The Ball Drops on Callery Pear in 2023!

The Ball Drops on Callery Pear in 2023!

Callery Pear sales are coming to an END. As of January 7th, 2023, Callery Pear, Pyrus calleryana and its cultivars will no longer be able to be bought or sold in Ohio. This is the end of the 5 year grace period set forth by the Ohio Department of Agriculture from January 7th, 2018.
View full article at -->>

Callery Pear sales are coming to an END. As of January 7th, 2023, Callery Pear, Pyrus calleryana and its cultivars will no longer be able to be bought or sold in Ohio. This is the end of the 5 year grace period set forth by the Ohio Department of Agriculture from January 7th, 2018.

12/21/2022

2022 December solstice: All you need to know | EarthSky

Happy Winter Solstice!

Do you have any special traditions to celebrate the return of the sun?

No matter where you live on Earth’s globe – no matter what time it happens for you – the solstice is your signal to celebrate seasonal change.

12/19/2022

Backyard conservation makes a great gift for your loved ones and our watersheds.

12/15/2022

History of Christmas Bird Count:

What started out as a non-game bird shoot, is now helping conservationists research bird populations. You guessed it, it’s the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Before the 1900s, there was an annual side hunt tradition. During this day, hunters would split up to hunt separate sides of a piece of land, hoping to bag the most birds and small mammals. Towards the end of the 19th century, bird populations were in observable decline. This led to ornithologist, Frank M. Chapman to propose a different kind of bird hunt, a Christmas Bird Count. The first Christmas Bird Count was Christmas Day 1900. That year, Chapman and 27 colleagues organized 25 bird counts across North America. Ever since, there has been an annual tradition to survey bird populations across the entirety of the United States

You can contribute to this dataset by joining Blackbrook Audubon Society for the Lake County Christmas Bird Count this Sunday, December 18, 2022. http://www.blackbrookaudubon.org/christmas-bird-count.html

More info:
https://lancaster.unl.edu/2022-christmas-bird-count

https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count

Photo: Nan Patrick

12/15/2022

Warm Welcome to Victor!

Victor Serrano recently joined Lake SWCD as a Northern Ohio Watershed Corps (NOW Corps) member. His service term will run from December 2022 through September 2023. Victor graduated from Lake Erie College in May 2022 with a biology and environmental science double major. Victor enjoys a wide range of activities from drawing to going on a hike and fishing. We are happy to have him on the Lake SWCD team.

One of the projects that Victor will be taking on is our ongoing weekly water level and water quality monitoring in the Mentor Marsh. Here he is pictured with water level monitoring equipment at one of the monitoring sites on Corduroy Road.

If you see Victor in our office or out in the field give him a hearty hello!

12/14/2022

Big props to Hocking SWCD for their timely stormwater message.

Don't be an Eddie. Keep your stormdrains free of debris and make sure that only rain goes down the drain (no matter how full your holiday guest's chemical toilet is 😉)

12/09/2022

Make sure your holiday decor doesn't spread more than cheer.

12/05/2022

Happy World Soil Day!

Did you know that there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than people on Earth? Soil is a world made up of organisms, minerals, and organic components that provides food for humans and animals through plant growth.

The soil serves many functions like:

To build in, on and with
To filter water
As habitat for organisms
To grow food, fiber and building materials

Conservation Districts, like Lake SWCD, are children of the dust bowl. During the 1930s, the bread basket of the central US turned into the Dust Bowl due to drought and decades of soil mismanagement. The inability to grow commodity crops, like wheat, exacerbated the economic and food availability/accessibility crises already facing the county during the Great Depression. With the hard work of soil scientists like Hugh Hammond Bennett and a little help from a well-timed dust storm, permanent funding for what would become the Soil Conservation Service was obtained in 1935. (https://boundarystones.weta.org/2012/11/19/hugh-bennett-and-perfect-storm)

Soil Conservation Districts (later to become Soil & Water Conservation Districts or simply Conservation Districts) were the local agencies created to help landowners protect their soil resources. Lake SWCD was formed 75 years ago in 1947 after being voted on by citizens in 1946.

Soil loss is still a major concern today. Not only is loss of fertile soils a concern, but the damage that soils washed into waterways cause to aquatic environments. Today Lake SWCD continues protect the county's resources, by keeping soil on construction sites, working with local farmers and nurserymen, and education the public on backyard conservation.

11/30/2022

More salt doesn't equal more melting. Using the right amount of salt in the right places is good for our local waterways, groundwater, and your wallet.

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Lake SWCD.

Our offices will be closed today and tomorrow and will reopen on Monday the 28.

11/16/2022

With freezing temperatures in the forecast, don't forget to drain and disconnect your rain barrel!

If your barrel is painted the wet weather coupled with the freeze and thaw can crack the paint right off of the barrel, so bring them in.

If you live in a windy area, like along the lake, be sure to weight your barrel down or bring it in.

Taking care of your rain barrel allows for it to collect rain for your use and reduce stormwater for years to come!

As temperatures begin to drop, it's time to prepare your rain barrel for winter. Follow these tips to winterize your rain barrel.

11/15/2022

Winter Maintenance for Permeable Pavements

Winter Maintenance for Permeable Pavements

Implement programs and practices that protect and restore healthy soil and water resources.

11/04/2022

The Mentor Marsh

Congratulations to the Mentor Marsh for being named one of Ohio's great places by the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association!

https://www.news-herald.com/2022/10/20/mentor-marsh-downtown-willoughby-named-winners-of-the-2022-ohio-apa-great-places-awards/?fbclid=IwAR0JcV2BHm9IsXmwL5SdOiKdb8cZL1Nh4PmDUPmx_AaTeoJAV1ixx6tHUeE

11/01/2022

Wonders of Mexico | Day of the Dead and Monarch Butterflies | PBS

Happy Día de Mu***os to those who celebrate.

For those not familiar Día de Mu***os is a celebration of the deceased. Families and friends gather at gravesites of their ancestors and loved ones. There, they build them altars with photos, offerings, ornate sugar skulls, bright orange marigolds, and candles. The living then share refreshments and stories to celebrate the lives of their friends and ancestors that have passed. This holiday serves as a way to keep the dead alive in the hearts and memories of the living (Chavez, 2019).

In Michoacán and the State of Mexico, monarchs hold a special place in their traditions. Monarchs represent the souls of their ancestors returning to visit them for Día de Mu***os.

Some of those monarchs, on their way to the Oyamel firs in Mexico, flew all the way from Lake county. You can help protect the monarch species by dropping off your common milkweed pods in our collection bin located in the lobby of the Lake County Administration Center. We will be accepting pod donations until November 15.

https://www.pbs.org/video/day-dead-and-monarch-butterflies-b2j4hz/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/02/us/day-of-the-dead-dia-de-los-muertos-trnd

https://monarchjointventure.org/blog/monarchs-and-dia-de-muertos-in-mexico

An important Mexican annual event coincides with one of its greatest natural spectacles.

10/31/2022

Top 10 Bat Facts

Bats and pumpkins on the brain today?

Here are some facts about these symbols of the season!

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/top-10-bat-facts/

https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-pumpkins-recipes/

Find out all you want to know about bats and how we're protecting them.

10/18/2022

Lake SWCD October 2022 Board Meeting Rescheduled

The October 2022 Lake SWCD Board Meeting has been rescheduled for October 25, 2022 at 3:30 pm in the Headwaters Conference room located at 105 Main St, Suite B 304, Painesville.

Please contact 440-350-2730 if you have any questions or if you would like to attend.

10/18/2022

Stormwater Awareness Week - Tuesday

Stormwater Awareness Week - Tuesday

Stormwater Awareness Week - Tuesday

10/18/2022

Photos from NEO-PIPE's post

10/17/2022

This week is Stormwater Awareness Week!

Did you know the water that goes into our stormdrains and ditches travels to our streams, rivers and Lake Erie untreated?

This week we will be we will be highlighting ways we can all reduce stormwater pollution.

10/07/2022

The 2022 Lake SWCD Board of Supervisor's Election results are in!

We would like to congratulate Jared Spring on his election to the Lake SWCD Board.

Jared is new to the board, but he is not a stranger to Lake SWCD. Jared and his family worked with Lake SWCD to get their farm in Madison Township protected with a Agricultural Easement in 2017.

We look forward to working with him. after he is sworn in to his 3-year term in January 2023.

A BIG Thank You to Steve Reynolds for his 6 years of service on the Lake SWCD Board of Supervisors.

District Board members (supervisors) are respected conservation leaders elected by county residents to represent them in charting the course for soil and water conservation and natural resources management in their county. Board supervisors serve as a guide for the District, its staff and cooperating agencies in efforts to implement conservation plans which address the county's soil and water-related resources.

Board supervisors are elected to a three-year term as public officials and serve without pay. They are protected from liability by laws which indemnify all SWCD supervisors from personal liability in any civil actions arising from involvement with the SWCD.
https://www.lakecountyohio.gov/…/About-Lake…/Board-and-Staff
Board and Staff of Lake SWCD

10/04/2022

Got milkweed? Annual Ohio collection seeks seed donations to rebuild monarch butterfly habitats

Did you know Lake SWCD is also a drop off site for milkweed pods?

Our Milkweed Collection Bin is located in the main lobby of the Lake County Administration Center at 105 Main St in Painesville.

We will be collecting pods into early November, so no worries if yours aren't quite ripe yet.

Be sure that all milkweed pod donations are ripe (those seeds should be dark brown and any green pods should easily split with gentle pressure), in a paper bag, labeled with species, date and county they were collected in. Also try to include as few milkweed bugs are possible! 😉

As in previous years, we will accept all Ohio native milkweed species, but be sure to label them.

For questions regarding Milkweed Pod Collection in Lake County contact [email protected] or 440-350-2730.

https://www.wksu.org/environment-energy/2022-10-03/got-milkweed-annual-ohio-collection-seeks-seed-donations-to-rebuild-monarch-butterfly-habitats?fbclid=IwAR0R4ucrOHWvDGkIFaRiPD_oak7ynZ3HWowKSSFiSclExN13XDAHqqpMaD0

Now through Nov. 15, residents can donate common milkweed pods to soil and water conservation districts across the state. The Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative began the collection program in 2015 to help rebuild monarch butterfly habitats and population.

10/03/2022

Last Chance to Register for the Celebrate 75 Conservation Cookout! - https://mailchi.mp/a0d99d406a2e/crossection-second-half-20185434

10/03/2022

Join us at the Celebrate 75 Conservation Cookout on October 6 at Painesville Township Park on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie and listen to our featured speaker, the legendary naturalist and nature photographer, Jim McCormac.

Jim worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for 31 years as a botanist, and later specialized in wildlife diversity projects, especially involving birds. He has authored or coauthored six books and publishes a natural history blog.

Jim's program, sponsored by Blackbrook Audubon Society, Mysterious Moths: The Darker Side of Butterflies, will be a pictorial journey into an intriguing and little known world that unfolds all around us and how we can greatly benefit the eco system around us by "moth-gardening" in our yards. His book, Gardening for Moths in the Midwest, in collaboration with Chelsea Gottfried, will be released soon.

Tickets are $35 and include dinner and a drink ticket.

To register visit:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrate-75-conservation-cookout-tickets-407663461387

Please direct any questions to [email protected] or 440-350-2730.

09/30/2022

Register for our Celebrate 75 Conservation Cookout!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrate-75-conservation-cookout-tickets-407663461387

Special thanks to our sponsors!

Speaker sponsor: Blackbrook Audubon
Food and Drink sponsors: Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Lake County Rod and Gun Club
Location Sponsor: Lake Metroparks

09/26/2022

Fall is here! 🍂🍁 That means it is time to review proper storm drain maintenance for the upcoming months in an effort to protect water quality.

If you have a storm drain near your residence, keep leaves and other debris away the entry. If you have city/township leaf pick-up services, pile your leaves on the terrace or edge of your yard and not in the street.

Also, any leaves, grass clippings, or other debris that enter the storm drain travel to nearby waterways UNTREATED and UNFILTERED, adding nutrients or other pollutants to our water.



Kudos to Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District for the graphic!

09/22/2022

Today is the Autumnal Equinox!

What is your favorite thing about Fall?

09/21/2022

UPDATE! Oops. The Date is October 6th. Join Lake SWCD for Our Celebrate 75 Conservation Cookout! - https://mailchi.mp/e38067760726/crossection-second-half-20184358

09/16/2022

Are you curious about the salt fill removal efforts at the Mentor Marsh?

The Ohio EPA is having an open house between 5-7 pm. Access to the site is at the construction entrance on Deer Ridge, just north of Lakeshore Blvd.

Have a couple minutes this evening to pop in the salt fill removal site? Ohio EPA is hosting an open house at the excavation site from 5-7 pm tonight. Access is at the construction entrance on Deer Ridge, just north of Lakeshore Blvd.
Pictured is in the heart of the salt fill area, in the old stream bed of the historic Blackbrook Creek, just before it empties into Mentor Marsh. Come see this in real life, ask questions and learn about this fantastic project to remove salt and other fill materials from leaching into the Marsh. We’ll be on site ourselves to check it out PLUS to answer questions about our parallel project, the restoration of Mentor Marsh, too.
Photo credit: OEPA, summer 2022

09/12/2022

CrosSection Summer/Fall 2022 - https://mailchi.mp/787b0c883fa0/crossection-second-half-20182942

09/08/2022

Treat the banks of your backyard stream to some native tree and shrub live stakes!

We are accepting orders until October 21.

https://www.lakecountyohio.gov/swcd/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/07/2022-Backyard-Restoration-Sale.pdf

08/30/2022

The Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission will cause an election of Supervisors of the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to be held in accordance with Chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code. Individuals who own or occupy land within the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District and are 18 years of age or older may vote for Supervisor.

There are 4 ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot:

1.) At the SWCD office, 105 Main Street B-3 Suite 100, Painesville OH 44077, from 9/7/2022 until 10/6/2022 during normal business hours (7:30am-4:00pm); or

2.) At the SWCD Annual Meeting, which will take place at Painesville Township Park - 1025 Hardy Rd, Painesville, OH 44077 on 10/6/2022 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm ; or

3.) At the Fall Stream Restoration Workshop, which will take place at Springbrook Gardens Park, located at 6780 Heisley Road, Mentor OH 44060. on 10/22/2022 from 6:oopm to 8:00pm; or

4.) Voting absentee from 9/7/2022 until 10/6/2022, by requesting the ballot application and election ballot from the SWCD office at the following address 105 Main Street B-3 Suite 100, by calling 440-350-2730, or email [email protected]. Absentee ballots must be received by 10:00 am at the SWCD office on 10/6/2022.

One Supervisor will be elected to a three‐year term commencing January 1, 2023 and ending December 31, 2025.

Nominees are:

Steve Reynolds
Jared Spring

08/25/2022

Lake County Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant Open house coming up on September 10!

PLEASE SHARE: Interested in learning more about where wastewater goes once it leaves your house? If so, please join us for a free tour of the Madison Wastewater Treatment Plant! Tell you neighbors, friends and family! See you there!

08/08/2022

Save the date for Lake SWCD's Annual Meeting and Election!

This year's meeting will take place at Painesville Township park on October 6th.

More event and election details to come!

08/04/2022

WE'RE HIRING!!!
Apply to be our 2022-2023 NOWCorps Outreach Specialist!
The NOWCorps 2022-23 service year runs from October 11, 2022 through September 30, 2023.
To apply, send a copy of your resume and cover letter to [email protected] and indicate ALL positions in which you’re interested. (You may apply for multiple NOWCorps positions.)
https://tinkerscreek.org/nowcorps-program/

07/27/2022

Buttonbush is an incredible wildlife shrub for wet areas!

Our Buttonbush in the Marsh is covered in Eastern Tiger Swallowtails! We observed 7 nectaring on a Buttonbush this morning in just one shrub, plus Monarchs, Viceroys, and even two Ruby/throated Hummingbirds! You can pop out to the Marsh on the Wake Robin boardwalk to see this phenomena yourself!
If you’re looking for a native butterfly shrub, this one is fabulous! It can grow in wet or dry conditions. For more natural history information on Buttonbush: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/buttonbush.htm
The Mentor Marsh Nature Center is open from 12-5 pm today, plus we’re leading a hike at 2 pm today!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve? 7/23/22
Photo credit: Becky Donaldson

07/25/2022

There is still space in the summer NEO Master Rain Gardener course!

Visit neomasterraingardener.org to register today!

07/21/2022

Did you know Lake SWCD sells rain barrels year round?

Our rain barrel kits include a 55 gallon repurposed food grade barrel and DIY rain barrel diverter and parts kit for $70 (65.27 + 4.73 tax)

If you are interested in purchasing one, give the office call from 7:30 - 4 M-F at 440-350-2730 or email us at [email protected]