Henderson County Soil and Water District Mission Statement
The division provides programs, technical services and educational outreach promoting voluntary natural resource management and conservation on the private lands of NC through a non-regulatory, incentive-driven approach
Upcoming Supervisor Board Meetings
Open to public
February 13, 2023 at 12pm
March 13, 2023 at 12pm
Election results are in!
Congratulations to Jerred Nix and Andrew Brannon!
Jerred Nix
Elected Supervisor
Country from head to toe and the most honest man you have ever met defines who Jerred Nix is. He wants to educate the public on agriculture and share the importance of healthy soil. Even with a very busy schedule running his farm, he makes time to work with the Soil and Water Conservation team to improve the land he loves. We are honored to have someone as smart and hard working as him on our board.
Advice for the young: Get involved
Drew Brannon
Elected Supervisor
Integrity and passion for the community is what makes Drew Brannon a perfect supervisor on the board. His heart beats from making every person in the community feel important and loved. One way he has impacted the community is by teaching. His favorite topic to teach was history with a focus on American wars. Due to his hard work and morals, he was given many awards for his teaching abilities. He has served as a Henderson County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor for nearly 50 years and is excited to continuing to serve the community he loves.
Advice to the young: Do what you say. I will do what I say.
Greg Hoyt
Appointed Supervisor
Term: 2022-2026
Greg is an honorable man who is driven by his love of his family and passion for agriculture. He has been a supervisor for many years with us and brings a wealth of agricultural production knowledge to the table. His vibrant personality makes everyone he meets smile. We are thrilled to have Greg stay another term on the supervisor board.
Fun facts about Greg
- Loves to teach about Conservation Tillage
- Favorite place to live is on the beach so he can be close to all the sharks
- Favorite sport is college football
Supplemental Funding Received for ACSP
The Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District requested and was granted an additional $20,000 for the Agricultural Cost Share Program(ACSP) this fiscal year. These extra funds were approved for two Critical Area Treatment on orchard roads and for livestock stream exclusion, which includes livestock exclusion fencing, a new well, and watering tanks. The District is grateful for the extra funds and looking forward to getting these projects underway.
The supplemental funding brings the grand total of money received for ACSP this year to $80,584 to put conservation practices on the ground in Henderson County.
Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program (AgWRAP)
The AgWRAP program is designed to provide cost share assistance to farmers who need increase water use efficiency, availability and storage. This program seeks to build long-term resilience and sustainability of agriculture in North Carolina. Some Best Management Practices (BMPs) utilized in this program include water supply pond, irrigation well, and livestock watering facility.
Community Conservation Assistance Program
Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) is a voluntary, incentive-based program designed to improve water quality through the installation of various best management practices (BMPs) on urban, suburban, and rural lands not directly involved with agriculture production. It is a regional application process. We evaluate all projects of interest and rank each project. Based on the ranking, the Board will recommend projects for funding to the State. The State decides which projects in our regional will be funded each year and how much each project is awarded. This is a cost share program, where a portion of the installation costs are provided by the program. The landowner is responsible for the remaining balance.
We provide technical assessments of homeowner properties and provide recommendations for improvements in regards to erosion and stormwater runoff issues. If you are interested in a site assessment, please contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Upcoming Stream Bank Repair Workshops
Attendees will learn how to protect and improve the natural environment of streams by stabilizing the stream bank and other eroding areas. NC State University and other local experts will provide practical, cost-effective solutions using natural materials and native plants to create a healthy streamside. Attendees will participate in hands-on stream protection practices including harvesting live-staked native plants and/or installing live-stakes on a stream.
Stream Bank Repair Workshops | Workshops & Conferences (ncsu.edu)
Please contact the District if you are interested in applying for financial assistance through the NC Agriculture Cost Share Program, Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program, or Community Conservation Assistance Program. These programs are voluntary and are funded through the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Division of Soil & Water Conservation and administered through the Henderson County SWCD to fund the installation of various Best Management Practices (BMPs) to improve water quality, reduce soil loss, and improve water supply.
These programs provide technical assistance and funding for a portion of eligible BMPs. To qualify, there must be an existing problem. The design, construction, and maintenance are overseen by Henderson County SWCD. Both rural and urban citizens may apply. A few of the BMPs utilized include cropland conversions, stock trails, livestock exclusion (fencing), ag road stabilizations, stream stabilizations, no-till farming practices, stream crossings, watering tanks, diversions/grassed waterways, feed pads, riparian buffers, abandoned well closures, critical area plantings, bio-retention areas, stream restorations, large cisterns, pet waste receptacles, backyard wetlands, rain gardens, agrichemical handling facilities, and backflow preventors.
Spot Checks
Per policy from the Soil & Water Commission, the District is required to perform annual maintenance checks on 5% of all active cost-share contracts per program. Sites are selected randomly, and staff and Supervisors conduct site visits to ensure all Best Management Practices (BMPs) comply with each BMP standard. During the mandatory maintenance period (5 or 10 yrs.) for all cost-share contracts, the BMPs must be maintained as installed and sites can be visited by the District at any time.
In April 2022, Spot Checks were performed and all sites were found to be in compliance. Congratulations to all the landowners for keeping up with their BMPs!
Soil and Water Education
2022 Area 1 Educational Contests
After placing first in their categories for the Henderson County contest, the following students placed at the Area 1 Competition representing the 16 Western NC counties! Congrats to these amazing students!
Harry of Fernleaf Community Charter School won second place in the 6th Grade Essay Competition. Congratulations, Harry!
Eliza of Fernleaf Community Charter School won second place in the 6th Grade Poster Competition. Congratulations, Eliza!
Kids in the Creek
On April 26th-28th, nine partner organizations, along with community volunteers, hosted 350 eighth-graders from Rugby Middle School and Fernleaf Community Charter School at Mills River Town Park to learn more about water quality. Students spent the days attending seven sessions related to water quality.
Students had hands-on opportunities to survey the stream and collect aquatic life, properly identify macroinvertebrates found in the river, take water samples to conduct water quality testing, learn more about the process of water filtration through the water cycle, learn about stormwater in Henderson County, learn about recycling and its effects on water quality, and even play a game where students were able to “be” aquatic life.
Great weather and a great host site allowed students to reinforce concepts discussed in the classroom. This event could not have been a success without the volunteer efforts of the Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District, NC Wildlife Commission, City of Hendersonville Stormwater, City of Asheville Water, Mills River Parks and Recreation, MountainTrue, Greenworks, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Fernleaf Charter School, Rugby Middle School, and various community members who gave their time for this event.
The Henderson County Soil and Water Conservation District would like to thank the these nine partner organizations and various community members that volunteered their time to make the Kids in the Creek program a success this past spring.
In the Fall, we increased our outreach by hosting three more Kids in the Creek programs! In September, 187 Eight graders from Hendersonville Middle had the opportunity to participate in Kids in the Creek at Mills River Park. Later that month, two dozen participants attended a mini-Kids in the Creek for Homeschooled students. In October, we partnered with Flat Rock Middle to lead three stations at Dupont State Park. The entire 8th grade (240 students) was able to learn more about macroinvertebrates and stream health along with the hydrologic cycle.
Due to the great weather and location, an additional 65 community members stopped by our table to learn more about the environment around them. We truly appreciate all our great partner organizations that make these events a success! It takes an entire crew to make these events dynamic and a great hands-on experience for students!
For more information on introducing water quality activities into your classroom, please contact the Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District at 828-697-4949.
Did you know? We offer a variety of topics on soil, water, and conservation. These lessons are available for all ages and can help teachers meet the NC Essential Standards. Visit our webpage at https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/soilwater/page/program-offerings to see the various classes available. Stay tuned for additional classes coming Spring 2023!
Soil and Water Summer Fun!
This summer was our busiest one yet!!
Henderson County SWCD partnered with local schools again this year to provide summer learning opportunities with a “summer camp feel”. Our All About Water program is geared to elementary learners and takes our most popular water activities and puts them all in one program! Middle and high school students participated in our new STEM Earthquake program. Students learned more about plate tectonics and created an earthquake resistant structure that could survive our shake table using spaghetti noodles and mini-marshmallows!
Throughout the summer, we provided over 40 presentations at 14 schools and STEM Camps for 725 students. We were so busy we weren’t able to accommodate every school this summer. After so many virtual opportunities during the pandemic, teachers are ready for getting back into hands-on learning! Dates are already filling up fast for the spring, so call April at 828.697.4949 to schedule your hands-on lesson today!
2023 Henderson SWCD Educational Contest
Our theme for the 2023 Educational Contest is “Water…The Cycle of Life”. These contests can be done in combination with a classroom presentation or as a stand-alone activity. This year offers expanded grade level options and a new contest. The deadline for all entries is MARCH 1st, 2023. Please visit our website or call us for more information about our contests.
Poster Contest: Grades 3, 4, 5, & 6--Students create an artistic representation of the theme on posterboard
Essay Contest: Grades 6, 7 , 8, & 9-12--Students write a 300-500-word essay on the contest theme
Speech Contest: Grades 6, 7, 8, & 9-12--Students deliver a 4-6-minute speech on the contest theme presented to a panel of judges
Computer Generated Slideshow: Grades 6, 7, 8, & 9-12--Students create a 15-slide slideshow on the contest theme
The District would like to thank our very generous sponsors for all they do!
Volume 52. Issue 2. Winter 2022.
The Henderson Soil & Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer. For special accommodations, please contact Human Resources Director, Karen Ensley, at (828) 697-4669 or hrd@hendersoncountync.gov.
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