Concerning Conservation Wake Soil and Water Conservation District ~ Spring 2022

Conservation Spotlight

Here at the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District, one of our main goals is working with farmers and landowners to put conservation practices on the ground. Conservation practices like grassed waterways, watering tanks, heavy use areas and livestock exclusion fencing help farmers improve yields, while also protecting soil health and water quality. Detailed below are just a few of the most recent projects we have been working on!

Currently, several farmers across Wake County are working on stream protection system contracts that protect our county’s surface waters from pollution due to livestock access. These systems protect the water from animal waste as well as streambank erosion from the livestock’s access points.

The farmers begin this system by first installing a water well and pipeline to supply a safe and adequate amount of water to their livestock. The farmer then installs livestock watering tanks in pasture areas to deliver a reliable source of fresh drinking water to the animals. The watering tank is bolted to a reinforced concrete pad to keep it in place and provide a stable place for the livestock to drink. The concrete pad is surrounded by a ‘heavy use area’. A heavy use area is an excavated area that is lined with nonwoven geotextile fabric and filled in with at least 6” of compacted gravel.

Heavy use areas are used in conjunction with watering tanks due to high animal traffic. Once an alternate source of drinking water is provided, livestock exclusion fencing is installed to prevent the animals from accessing the surface waters previously used for drinking.

In addition to watering facilities with a designated heavy use area, livestock exclusion fencing is important to protecting riparian habitat.

Stream protection systems are very extensive practices that require engineered designs for the specific needs of the site. These systems take a lot of work and attention to detail from the farmer due to the number of components involved. Although these systems are intricate, they are critical to protecting our county’s surface waters from nutrients and sediment.

The following pictures illustrate the transformation possible from implementing a stream protection system, involving livestock exclusion and watering facilities.

If you believe that you could benefit from a livestock exclusion system please reach out to us and we will be happy to see if we can assist. Thank you for doing your part in protecting our county and state’s surface waters!

Attention Farmers and Landowners!

Do you have issues with erosion? Want to improve soil health? Do you lack enough water to meet your needs? Are your animals mucking up your pond? Are your farm paths in rough shape? Do you need help dealing with manure?

We can help you get conservation on the ground!

The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has available funds to assist farmers and landowners with installing conservation practices to help decrease the amount of sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and other pollutants in the surface and ground waters of our state.

Farmers and landowners of existing agricultural operations may apply for cost share assistance to install conservation practices such as grassed waterways, converting crop fields to pasture or trees, cover crops, irrigation wells, livestock water tanks and livestock exclusion fencing. Funds are also available to assist with improving inadequate water supply such as ponds that dry out or hauling water to livestock and vegetable fields.

Farmers and landowners are encouraged to contact the Wake SWCD office as soon as possible. Contact us at 919-250-1050 for more information.

Recapping our Keeping the Farm Virtual Workshop

If you missed the workshop this year, or would like to re-watch any of the speakers, you can view all of the individual presentation slides and videos on our website at wakegov.com/keepingthefarm.

The 2022 edition of the Wake County Keeping the Farm Workshop took place on Wednesday March 23rd and it was a great success. This was the 17th edition of the workshop, which has become a mainstay on the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District calendar every year.

Our annual Keeping the Farm Workshop is a great opportunity for Wake County farm and forest landowners to learn about topics related to their concerns and interests for their property. This year, we heard from presenters on the following topics:

Wake County Tax Administration

Wake County Register of Deeds

Estate Planning Issues for Farmers & Landowners in 2022

So, You Inherited a Farm: Land Use and Co-Ownership Agreements

Farmland Preservation - NCADFP

Conservation Easements - Triangle Land Conservancy

We are looking forward to returning to an in-person format next year for the 18th edition of Keeping the Farm!

Have you heard about the Wake County Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) Program?

The Voluntary Agricultural District Program is a voluntary program intended to foster an improved community around agriculture. The purpose of the VAD program is to preserve and protect farm and forest land from non-agricultural development, while encouraging the economic and financial health of agricultural areas. The program also aims to increase the identity and pride in the agricultural community and its way of life.

There are also numerous benefits to being a part of the Voluntary Agricultural District. The most recognizable benefit is that it allows landowners to publicly recognize their farms in the form of their official VAD sign. Enrollment in the VAD also helps to reduce conflicts between farm and non-farm land users. All purchasers of land near agricultural districts should expect dust, machinery noise, animal waste, chemical odors and other similar conditions associated with living in a farming area. Finally, being a member of the VAD gives farm owners a greater voice in local government decisions affecting their community and their lands.

To be eligible to participate in VAD, tracts of land must be used for bona fide farm purposes (G.S. 160D-903) and have a minimum of 20 acres of qualified forestry, 10 acres of agriculture, or 5 acres of horticulture.

To date, over 10,000 acres of farm and forest land have been preserved and protected through the VAD program in Wake County. The Wake County Agricultural Advisory Board, which oversees the VAD program, continues to work hard at preserving farmland in Wake County.

Upcoming Produce Safety Field Day

The NCDA&CS Produce Safety Program will be offering two Produce Safety Field Days for cooperators involved in produce production. Registration is free and lunch will be provided. Each event will be capped at 50 people. Information for the event in Clinton, NC can be found on the flyer below.

2022 Area IV Envirothon

Area 4 Envirothon Takes to the Outdoors Once More!

The Envirothon is an academic competition that challenges teams’ knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and current environmental issues. The competition is divided into Middle School and High School categories. The Area 4 Envirothon serves as a regional qualifying event for the state competition. After shifting to a virtual competition last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Area 4 Envirothon event was held outside in the fields and woods behind the Warrenton Armory in Warren County.

A total of 11 teams from six Wake County schools eagerly registered to take the natural resource challenge outdoors on March 16, 2022. Five of these teams dominated the Top 7 scores, earning the privilege to advance to the 2022 North Carolina Envirothon April 29-30 at Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC!

Each 1st Place team received a $100 cash prize, engraved plaque, and Best Score medallions for each team member. Subchronic Exposure scored a perfect 100 in Aquatic Ecology, a 96 in Soils, and tied a score of 92 on Current Environmental Issues. Talented Magnet Middle FFA earned top scores in Wildlife and Aquatic Ecology. Gift baskets filled with North Carolina-crafted treats were awarded to Team Advisors Chad Ogren and Debbie Massengill from Enloe Magnet High School, and Advisor Kortney Smith from LeRoy Martin Gifted & Talented Magnet Middle School.

The state competition will further challenge these teams’ content knowledge in the same five natural resource areas. In addition, high school teams compete in an oral presentation component where they must propose a solution to a natural resource problem illustrating their knowledge of science, best management practices, and public speaking skills.

In light of their hard-earned scores, Wake District’s Board of Supervisors will proudly sponsor these five Wake County teams to the 2022 North Carolina Envirothon!

Watershed Stewardship Schools Update

Once a school earns the title of an official “Watershed Stewardship School” by the Wake District Board of Supervisors, does learning about watersheds and keeping water clean continue? The answer from Abbotts Creek Elementary in north Raleigh (named a WSS in 2020) and Lincoln Heights Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary in Fuquay-Varina (named a WSS in 2021) is “Yes, indeed!” Here are their photo updates:

Is that a cat’s tail or a cattail? Students at Abbotts Creek Elementary investigate the plants that grow along the side of the school retention pond. How do these plants grow in water? How do they help to keep the water clean? How do they provide habitat for wildlife? Students are amazed at the super powers of plants!

Students at Abbotts Creek Elementary can’t believe their fingers! This fresh compost used to be food scraps from their school cafeteria. Now the compost will help plants grow in their Learning Garden so the cycle can begin again!

Kindergarteners at Abbotts Creek Elementary learn where the water goes on campus after it rains. They listen carefully and follow the sound of water running into the storm drain, then into the culvert, and finally into the school retention pond. It’s part of the water cycle journey!

Students at Abbotts Creek Elementary find a small spring peeper just waking up from brumation. It lives in the school retention pond with many other spring peepers. Their frog chorus fills the air and gives students another good reason why we need to keep our watersheds clean and healthy!

Bingo! Students at Lincoln Heights Elementary mark their Stormwater Bingo cards as they identify stormwater features on their schoolyard. We can all take watershed-friendly actions to make stormwater runoff slow down, spread out, and soak in!

Where will the rain go? With water sprayers in hand, Lincoln Heights students “rain” a deluge over a watershed model to see stormwater runoff flow downhill across the landscape. Unfortunately, stormwater runoff picks up nonpoint source pollutants such as fertilizers that cause algae blooms, chemicals that contaminate water, and pet and animal waste that can harm aquatic and human health. A best practice is to plant trees and vegetation that can filter and clean polluted stormwater!

We are very proud of our Wake County Watershed Stewardship Schools for the exciting experiential learning they provide their students every day!

Wake County Big Sweep

The Wake County Big Sweep Spring season is underway! Our first event on March 5th, partnered with Town of Fuquay-Varina Engineering Department, kicked off with new Zone Captain, Vini Taguchi, who led 23 volunteers in his community to clean up Sonoma Springs near Fuquay-Varina. Over the course of 3 hours this past Saturday, 364 lbs. was removed from their zone including 3 bags of recycling, 9 bags of trash, a large plastic barrel, and a couple metal construction poles. Their zone falls within the Upper Middle Creek watershed which has impaired waterways as denoted by the Clean Water Act, making this a target zone for Big Sweep. Thank you volunteers for starting our season with a mighty crew!

Big Sweep partnered again with the Town of Fuquay-Varina's Engineering Department to support Zone Captains Osvaldo Linares (student) and Shelby Cole (teacher) for their event on E. Broad St. in Fuquay-Varina. Osvaldo enlisted the help of close to 15 of his fellow students from Fuquay-Varina High School National Honor Society to clean up over 130 lbs. of litter, including more than 300 cigarette butts and over 95 plastic leaves they believe came from a nearby cemetery! They also found a computer modem, car parts, and a Christmas tree stand!

St. David’s Honor Society, led by Philip Boyne, subbing for veteran Zone Captain Molly Bostic, tackled Lassiter Mill Park with the help of 22 student volunteers. They cleaned up 129 lbs. of litter including a chair, a parking block, and a dog tag with the name “Boone”- thinking about you Boone! St. David’s has been participating in Big Sweep since spring 2017 and are excited to be back in action.

We have several cleanups happening now through May. Some upcoming events open to the public are highlighted below:

Town of Cary Big Sweep/Litter Sweep – Saturday, April 2, 2022 from 8:00 AM–10:00 AM & 11:00 AM–1:00 PM

Calling all volunteers – numerous time slots & cleanup sites across the Town of Cary! Come help us keep Cary clean and green. Volunteers, ages 14 and up, are needed for our partner, Town of Cary’s, Spring Litter Sweep on Saturday April 2, 2022.

Lake Crabtree County Park Big Sweep – Saturday April 9, 2022 from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM @ 1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC, 27560

Help clean up Lake Crabtree's shoreline and other areas around the park! Individuals, families, and groups can register to participate in this event.

Rocky Branch Big Sweep – Saturday April 9, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM @ Tate Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603

All hands-on deck! Come join Big Sweep and our partners, Boylan Heights Association, in removing litter from Rocky Branch near Dix Park in downtown Raleigh. Help remove litter that directly pollutes the Walnut Creek watershed.

Walnut Creek Wetland Park Big Sweep – Saturday April 9, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM @ 950 Peterson St., Raleigh, NC 27610

Please join us at our Big Sweep event at one of our oldest zones, Walnut Creek Wetland Park! Partners for Environmental Justice has been hosting Big Sweeps at this zone for more than 30 years; join the legacy!

Donations Needed!

Big Sweep needs your old, out-of-use boots and buckets! Do you have used but functional rain boots or waders that you would like to donate? Do you have extra 5-gallon buckets? Both can be very helpful at Big Sweep events!

If you would like to donate, these items can be dropped off at our office, in the front of the Agricultural Services building located near Historic Oak View County Park. Donations can be placed in or outside of the box labeled "Big Sweep Donations Boots and Buckets". If you need them picked up, please e-mail Alexandra.heinemann@wakegov.com.

Report a littered area

Do you know of a site or area that needs some love? Let us know! Big Sweep is always looking for new zones. We would like to have a running list of areas throughout Wake County that we can target. This will allow us to send groups to these areas as we often get inquiries from businesses, community groups, and the public looking for sites.

Please e-mail Alex Heinemann with the following information: general address of the location, what kind of litter, how much litter, and any additional details. After receiving your inquiry, we will head to the site to investigate it further and hopefully it will join our many other sites throughout Wake County!

Meetings and Closures:

April 13, 2022 – Wake SWCD Board Meeting

April 15, 2022 – Good Friday Holiday

April 22, 2022 – Earth Day

April 24-May 1, 2022 – National Stewardship Week

April 29-30, 2022 – North Carolina Envirothon

May 11, 2022 – Wake SWCD Board Meeting

May 30, 2022 – Memorial Day Holiday

June 8, 2022 – Wake SWCD Board Meeting

June 20, 2022 – Juneteenth Holiday