Rowan Soil and Water Conservation District

06/02/2026

Calling all formal and non-formal educators. Soil and Water Conservation Districts from across the state have compiled some of our best hands-on programs to share with you. Be one of the first educators to see this new curriculum. It is called Project SWAT (Soil, Water, and Agriculture Training). The cost is $15 and it includes lunch.

05/29/2026

Join us at the library next Tuesday night!

Discovering Footprints, Ages 11 to 14, RPL Headquarters in Salisbury, Tuesday, June 2, 6 p.m.

Join Kelli Isenhour, Education Coordinator for Rowan County Soil and Water, to discover the hidden stories animals leave behind! Questions? 704-216-8269.

05/26/2026

Hey, Hey! It's Ag night at the Kannapolis Cannonballers! Come on out. The rain has moved out and it's a beautiful night at the ballpark.

05/15/2026

What a beautiful day to be outside at the farm. Today, the Outdoor Environmental Club were treated to a hands-on tour of the Deal's farm in China Grove. Students learned about katahdin sheep, cattle, pasture rotation, and much more.

04/28/2026

The NC Envirothon wrapped up this weekend. What a great event! We are so appreciative of the 160 volunteers who showed up to help. Thanks so much to all our sponsors. We couldn't do it without your support!

👏🏻We couldn't do it without yall!

Soil and Water Conservation Society - NC Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter
NC State Grange
Vulcan Materials Company
Resource Institute Inc.
North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Division of Soil & Water Conservation
NCF-Envirothon
& all our Soil & Water Conservation Districts across NC!

03/18/2026

Please sign up to attend this important informational presentation. Our Director, Chris Sloop, will also discuss cost share opportunities that will help our farmers improve the water quality around their farms.

There's still time to register for our final High Rock Lake forum tomorrow evening at the Center for the Environment at Catawba College!

For more information and to save your seat, please follow the link below!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/events/2026/2/27/final-hrl-forum

03/09/2026

It's National Groundwater Awareness Week. This serves as a reminder for well owners to have their water tested annually by a certified water well contractor. It is important to make sure your well is operating correctly and producing safe water. Contact www.wellwater.org to find a certified contractor.

And while we care about the safety of your drinking water, our agency does not test water. Rowan Soil and Water is an agricultural agency that provides cost share money to help farmers implement practices that help keep our water clean. We can also provide cost share money that will help pay for an agricultural well.

02/25/2026

It's National Invasive Species Week!

Our Plant Industry division works hard to keep people across our state informed of invasive pests, such as the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the Spotted Lanternfly. To learn about the current pest quarantines, check out our website below, or to report an invasive pest sighting!

More info: https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/plant-industry

02/17/2026

Our Agronomic Services Lab will raise some of its testing fees beginning March 2nd! Soil testing fees, however, will remain free for N.C. residents outside of the peak season. The peak season period is typically late November/early December through March.

Find the new fee schedule and learn more information in the release below!

➡ https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/02/10/ncdacs-agronomic-services-laboratory-fee-increasing-march-2

02/13/2026

Spotted Lanternfly Update
The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in Rowan County.

📍 Where have they been spotted?
New detections are clustered along I‑85 and I‑285, likely spreading from known populations in Forsyth and Guilford counties.

First spotted in the US in 2014, this pest spreads quickly and often “hitchhikes” on vehicles, equipment, and outdoor items.

🌱 How does this impact me?
Spotted lanternfly is a piercing-sucking insect that produces large amounts of honeydew while feeding. This buildup of honeydew attracts stinging insects like wasps and ants and can cause black, sooty mold to grow on infested plants as well as homes and businesses. They are a known pest of over 70 species of plants including grapes, stone fruits, apples, maple, walnut, willow, and tree-of-heaven.

📲 What should I do if I see one?
If you see a spotted lanternfly or egg mass in NC, report it!
Submit a photo through the state’s online reporting tool found at https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/plant-industry/plant-protection/entomological-insect-services/spotted-lanternfly.