Septic Awareness Week

September 14-18th was the 14th annual installment of the EPA’s SepticSmart initiative which was created as a way for communities, local governments, and other organizations to bring attention to the impact that functioning septic systems have on human and environmental health. This year, through the Snake River Watershed Plan Partnership, the Kanabec SWCD hosted a viewing party for the University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program and Minnesota Onsite Wastewater Association’s SepticSmart webinar so interested Kanabec County residents could have some of their septic system questions answered. Responsibly managing septic systems is one way we can protect our surface and groundwater from nutrient and bacterial impairments.

Click here for the recorded webinar so you can learn about septic system care and lifespan.

Kanabec SWCD District Land

In 1995, around 120 acres of land were conveyed to the Kanabec SWCD  for conservation management purposes. These acres encompass a broad range of habitat, soil, and land types. Currently, the land is managed for a protected wetland, two expansive pollinator and native prairie plantings, wildlife food plots, forest stands, and evergreen wind shelterbelts. The parcel also includes three agricultural fields which are managed utilizing soil health practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage.

To use these beautiful acres as a hands-on way of connecting people to nature and soil, water, and habitat conservation, a seed collection event is being hosted there this month. Participants will get to walk through the pollinator plots and collect seeds from some eye-catching natives such as indian grass, big bluestem, purple coneflower, compass plant, and white asters. This event will also help us gain volunteers who would like to be included in future district land management activities. 

View the pollinator plot yourself and learn how to plant one on your own property at our seed collection event. Oct. 13th @ 10am 2361 Hwy 70 Mora, MN. Additional details and registration link on our website under upcoming events. Email mallory@kanabecswcd.org to be placed on our list of community volunteers.

Stormwater Workshop

Kanabec SWCD staff attended a stormwater management workshop in Woodbury, MN to learn how improving municipal, right-of-way, and residential soil can increase water quality. Healthy soils coupled with native plants have a greater ability to absorb water which reduces runoff and surface water pollution and increases groundwater recharge. One of the demonstrations at the workshop was a rainfall simulator hosted by BWSR (MN Board of Water and Soil Resources) which showed the quantity of runoff and infiltration on a variety of ground cover types. Participants were able to see that impervious surfaces and compacted, bare soil led to the most runoff while soils with native plant species and healthy lawns resulted in the most water infiltration. This occurs because soils with vegetation have less compaction and more biopores - spaces between soil particles that allow water to percolate - thanks to roots and soil organisms. 

No matter how small the project, we can help you make an impact on our local water resources. Contact us for help planning your own stormwater approved lawn!