MONROE COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
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une 06th, 2025

1/1/2010

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Highlights of Conservation in the 2010's

  • District Coordinator moves to District Management as conservation awareness and interest in projects go from minimal work load - overload in 10 years.
  • District received $600,000 319 Grant from IDEM for on the ground conservation work in the Beanblossom Watershed.
  • There is an explosion of small farm and backyard growing, and with that comes the need and desire for soil conservation.
  • District Manager works with IU-SPEA to secure a Graduate Student Fellow for additional part-time work.
  • Board encourages District Manager to obtain training through Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy and Conservation Cropping Systems Advanced Soil Health Programs.
  • Invasive species awareness grows as the SWCD supports the development of a local working group, MC-IRIS, to address the concerns.
  • County Employee Spring Tree Giveaway Program started.
  • Planting Cover Crop is high priority for the SWCD. Finding ways to get seed on with a crop becomes a focus. District partners with local air company to do aerial seeding.
  • District partners with new County Stormwater Department to provide private landowners resources to install conservation practices that address soil health and water quality.
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/2000

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​Highlights of Conservation in the 2000's

  • Promoting Educational programming with a part-time district paid educator in addition to the District Secretary.
  • District hires District Coordinator in place of secretary as board looks to plan for Soil and Water Conservation into the future.
  • State turns eyes toward development as a major contributor of soil loss/erosion and not agriculture.
  • IDEM establishes Rule 5 & 13 to address soil movement/loss in development/building projects. IDEM Looks to SWCDs for local assistance as division is developed.
  • Failing or older Septic Systems become a soil contamination concern and the District works with County Health Department to hold small workshops for landowners.
  • District holds Fall Tree Sale for native species promotion.
  • Sinkhole Stabilization Demonstration supported through state Clean Water Indiana Funds.
  • Voters in Indiana vote to establish a Department of Agriculture. Soil & Water Conservation Districts transition from DNR to ISDA.
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/1990

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Highlights of Conservation in the 1990's

  • IDEM awards district $110,000 for erosion control and water quality improvements to be done in the Lake Monroe Watershed through 319 Grant.
  • Land is rapidly being shifted from agricultural production to suburban development, industry, highways and recreational use.
  • Soil erosion and increasing amounts of sediment in the Gulf of Mexico are cause for major concern of soil loss.
  • T by 2000 is a Federal Program with Local Roots. This program caused the Mid-west, specifically Indiana and Illinois, to take large actions to protect our precious soil from washing away.
  • Educational programming for schools and classrooms becomes a major focus for district staff: Water Conservation, Soil Conservation, Wildlife Habitat and more.
  • Awareness of what Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District is and does becomes critically important for District Board of Supervisors.
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/1980

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Highlights of Conservation in the 1980's

  • No-till farming and cover crops became the priority for the improvement and control of soil erosion.
  • County Fair Display is utilized to reach the general public about the purpose and mission of SWCD.
  • Addressing the growing depletion and disappearance of farm lands, rural lands, soil erosion, pollution by sedimentation and the disappearance of wildlife sets stage for focus on the conservation of ALL Natural Lands and Resources.
  • Engaging realtors, developers, farmers, all land owners and educating them on the consequences of our actions. The message: Human actions on the land have a direct impact on our water’s quality.
  • Creating an awareness of each person or groups actions within all watersheds to reduce upstream flooding, to develop and utilize soil and water resources, and to dispose of extra runoff without causing damage downstream.
  • No-till and cover crop demonstration plots were utilized to promote and encourage best management practices on all lands.
  • Development of a Youth Board.
  • A partnership with the County Airport, Highway, Commissioner's and Parks Department was developed to execute good conservation practices throughout the county on government owned and public lands.
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/1970

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Highlights of Conservation in the 1970's

  • City of Bloomington Planning Department looks to Soil & Water Conservation District for assistance with soil type and patterns, and two-mile fringe zoning is discussed in Ellettsville.
  • National Movement for Outdoor Classrooms at public schools becomes a district focus.
  • District works with Monroe County Airport, providing funds to address several erosion and drainage issues. Installation of rock chute, grassed waterway and diversion terraces were all used.
  • Using Crown Vetch for grazing and erosion control was supported and promoted throughout the county.
  • Disappearing wildlife habitat becomes a priority for SWCD.
  • Encouraging composting became a topic of district promotion.
  • Tree Sales, District Awards, and Educational Outreach all became major focuses for SWCD in this decade.
  • A Mid-morning TV program was aired.
  • Watershed Land Use became a focal point for addressing human impact.
  • District works with other agencies to develop a 10 county watershed plan.
  • SWCD supported the creation of a County Parks Board.
  • Increasing Public Awareness and Understanding of Soil & Water Conservation is a high priority.
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/1960

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Highlights of Conservation in the 1960's

  • Focus is on Bean Blossom Watershed.
  • Fallout Protection for Livestock due to Cold War.
  • Development of a County Lake - Issues and Location.
  • District seeks increased funding support for Local, State and Federal Government options.
  • Private Timber Stand Improvement Plans are promoted and encouraged.
  • Promoting Contour Farming becomes a major priority.
  • Farm income drastically improved. Dept. of Ag states Monroe County showed farm income as 34% from crops and 66% from livestock.
  • Concern grows over man’s ability to steward the earth well.
  • 1962: “The District will need to have a broader field of endeavor, bringing in a new vista of service and achievement. In this County, where agriculture is usually a part-time activity and where much of the land is owned by non-farmers, it is not surprising that the statistical reports of agricultural land management practices do not reveal impressive figures. The problems encountered in this District are unlike those found in any other districts.”
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June 06th, 2025

1/1/1950

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Highlights of Conservation in the 1950's

  • District produces and mails out first Newsletter.
  • The District combats fading interest is soil conservation, had already begun to fade after one decade. This was done through promoting and education landowners on the need to conserve soil.
  • Promotion and education of soil conservation as being of prime importance to everyone whether they be city, suburban or country dwellers.
  • Education of the importance of the soil conservation district and connection with general public.
  • $39, 150 in cost share funds were issued on 183 farms.
  • 946 acres of permanent cover for soil protection were installed.
  • 2,391 aces of lime applied for crop and pasture improvement.
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Highlights From The Original Hearing Transcript to form Monroe County Soil Conservation District as Recorded

11/1/1943

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Picture
A.A. ULMET -
I believe that all of you know the purpose of this meeting here tonight. We have Mr. L.E. Hoffman, representing the State Soil Conservation Committee, with us. It is going to be up to you people to show him that we need and want this Soil Conservation District.  I would like for Turner Wiley to tell us about pasture as a soil conservation practice.

TURNER WILEY -

I am not going to try to tell you about something you never heard about or don’t know about. I will try to refresh your minds along lines you have already been thinking. We all know better than we do and have to keep prodding ourselves to do the best we can. I can look around over Monroe county and see almost worthless farms. In Washington township there is one farm that used to be good land, but now it is practically worthless. It was the best soil we have in Monroe county and grew alfalfa, etc. It was Bedford and Hagerstown soil. We farmers can usually tell about what soil will do by timber on the soil. Some of this land, as we say, is worn out. I think it is just washed out. It has got to the place it won’t even grow ragweed. It is very poor. By handling the land properly, it can be reclaimed, at least be brought back to be more profitable. A soil that was good soil can be easily built up but that - that was always poor is hard to build up. Some soils that have grown broom grass, etc., if plowed up and seeded to red top, lespedeza, clovers, etc., but first we will have to treat with acid phosphate and lime, and if they are fertilized and seeded to grasses that don’t have to be replaced every year, they will become good pastures. Don’t keep cattle in the pasture as long as you can see grasses, because that won’t get the best results. One of the best ways to control erosion is by pasture. It is not possible to keep all land in pasteur, but it should not be plowed. Two bankers bought a badly washed farm near mine and asked what to do. I said to them, “Get that down to grass, get some good outside fence and don’t plow.” They did that and I’ll ask anybody if that farm is not better and more profitable. Why worry about the other man’s land over the fence? The fence does not determine where good land stops and poor land begins. If a man on the other side of the fence has poor land, it pulls down the value of yours. We have to take into consideration sometimes the other fellow’s farm to enhance the value of our own.

A.A. ULMET -

One of the things we should pay more attention to is trees. George Hinds will tell us something of the Value of Trees.

GEORGE . HINDS -

As Mr. Wiley said, I think we all have this erosion problem. After the soil is so far gone, pasture won’t take care of it, try trees. I have tried it during the past few years and find that is one of the best ways. Locust will grow on most of this land and I understand that trees are usually furnished through the Soil Conservation Districts. It is something we need. Most farmers are short on post timber. We grow our own trees and convert into posts. I don’t know of anything that will benefit this land that is past crop control more than trees.

A.A. ULMET -
We have another reason. We go from the upland to the lowland. Many of us have some wet land that we don’t know for sure what to do with and there is interest in drainage ditches. I wonder if someone will tell us about the problem in Bean Blossom creek valley.

MILTE HITE -
I don’t know much, but I know over there where I am located we need something in the way of drainage; more than one or two farmers can do. I was interested in this soil conservation when I thought we could get some help through that. We could even get some surveying done and some help that would do a lot of good up and down the bottom.

A.A. ULMET -

We have some ladies present in the meeting. I am going to ask, Mr.s Milt Hite for her opinion on the district movement.

MRS. MILT HITE -

I think we all know of the drainage problem over there. We make one and miss two crops. Water gets on the farm all around us. I am interested as a homemaker. If the food is produced on soil that in’t up to par, the food isn’t either. I want the district to help make food, etc. better.

A.A. ULMET -

Would any of the other ladies like to express themselves?

MRS. RUSSELL WILEY -

I am always interested in the things that are going to help our farm life to be better and help our home life to be better and help our posterity. I think that it is all extremely interesting and will be very helpful to everyone concerned. I do think that one of the things that has especially interested me is the conservation of trees and why we need the trees. I have often thought that even if we could get along without lumber, fruits, etc. that our trees furnished, trees are still important. I have often marveled that scientists have estimated that one oak tree that sends its roots down many feet into the soil for Food and water will throw off about 150 gallons of water a day for the benefit of other vegetation. People don’t realize the benefits of trees until they have great storms and rains that will was the soil. There might have been layers of topsoil that would have been saved by trees. Trees build soil because they affect the land in such a way as to hold water and serve as a reservoir to hold the water. I am sure that a lot of folks don’t realize this and for selfish reasons have taken timber away and if it is not replaced more areas will need conserving.

A.A. ULMET -
We would like to have Mr. Levi Oliver tell of the erosion on his farm.

LEVI OLIVER -
We have a farm located south of Ellettsville. I have a picture in my pocket taken from an airplane. It is a view during a flood in Ellettsville caused by the overflow of Jack’s Defeat. The picture shows erosion during the rainy season. There are 15 ponds on our 160 acre farm; they are commonly known as sink holes. I would like to have something done about those if possible.

(Mr. Olive presented two airplane photos of his farm showing the 15 sink holes full of water and a gullied area.)

A.A. ULMET -
Mr. Kenneth Freeman, you were one of the men to carry a petition for this district. Why were you interested in this?

KENNETH FREEMAN -
The boundary of this district takes in about every type of soil and all problems of erosion and drainage that are to be found in the county I believe. I live close to the Flat Woods where there is much needed drainage, and just as an example, Mr. Weathers has one of the farms where the water comes from the hills across the woods and causes much erosion of level soil. His idea was to get help to build terraces around this hill to drain water that comes down across this farm land. I think it would be very helpful on this level land as well as on hill land for drainage control. Hill land causes erosion on level soil.

A.A. ULMET -
Mr. Russell Wiley, will you tell us about the problems on your farm?

RUSSELL WILEY -
I have a farm in Bean Blossom bottom. We have floods which are caused from rushing water coming off of hills so fast the creek can’t carry it. I have lived here 15 years and have lost one hay crop every few years almost completely. I had to plow the crop under and forget it. This did not hurt the ground so much but hurt my pocketbook. The rush of water washes fields pretty badly not in overflow land. I have had some surveying done on diversion ditches and I think it would help if we could get the project through. I am short of help right now to build the diversions that I have staked out. I have filled ditches with weeds but water washed them out. We really need something done to help us.

A.A. ULMET -
We have heard from the farmers and their wives. I see we have some of the Future Farmers here. Ralph Hit, would you want to speak?

RALPH HITE -
I am a member of the Future Farmers, but our president is here. I suggest that he should represent us.

CURTIS FOSTER -
I am from the Bloomington Chapter of Future Farmers of America. I think this district should go through. If the men don’t put it through now we won’t have the land, etc. to carry on later.

HERSCHEL COWDEN -
What happened on one farm has happened on many. Today you can cut down most any kind of sapling and put across Bean Blossom creek, but years ago the creek was wider. When one man I know was a boy, it had to rain 4 or 5 days to put the creek out, but now takes only one night. The next generation the creek will be taking the farm. It has washed more this year than ever before. Top soil washed away this year.

A.A. ULMET -
Mr. Hoffman, would you like to hear from more people on why we are wanting to organize this soil conservation district?

L.E. HOFFMAN -
No I don’t think so. You don’t need to sell me on the need for soil conservation. I would like to have you discuss the boundaries of the proposed district so that I can tell the state committee your wishes.
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Where it all started, Laying The Ground Work

4/1/1943

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Laying the ground work. ​Originally there was interest from people around Stanford to organize a district. Some meetings were held, but not quite enough interest developed to continue plans. Then, interest in a soil conservation district began to develop in Washington township.

A meeting was called at the Consolidated school in Washington township, with 22 farmers and wives attending. Mr. R.O. Cole from the state committee attended and discussed that this is an educational way of doing things and he told the people in attendance what they might expect from a soil conservation district if one was formed.
At this meeting the question was asked, “Well what are we going to do now? If we leave this meeting tonight and nothing is done, what are we going to do?”

It was stated that this program is the program of the people of Monroe County. So Walter Rogers, County Agent appointed Mr. A.A. Ulmet chairman of a formation committee, because A.A. had been one of the first to speak about the formation of a soil conservation district. Other members of that committee included: Russell Whiley, Hilt Hite, Fred Brown and Herschel Cowden.

This committee met from time to time and at the first meeting each member was given a petition to secure signers. Each member got out and met with neighbors and community members as the law required 25 signers. The committee secured 37 signatures and the petition was sent to Mr. Cole to present to the state committee.

The state committee suggested that more territory be included. More petitions were taken out and the committee went into other regions of the county. In total there were 117 to 125 signers across the county.
​

The petition was again presented to the state committee and the committee suggested that the hearing be called.
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Highlights of Conservation in the 1940's5

1/1/1940

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  • Establishment of the District.
  • Transposing the Districts plan from paper to land.
  • Promoting the positive attitude between farmers and business men alike.
  • Increase in application of lime and fertilizer to poor soils.
  • Increase interest of building terraces and working on larger drainage projects.
  • Increased the boundaries to include the entire county.
  • Many of the farmers work off the farm in the winter to supplement income due to poor soil.
  • Urgency of War Work creates a shortage of labor.
  • Need for soil survey along Bean Blossom Creek.
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  • HOME
  • ASSISTANCE TAB
    • FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITES
    • NO TILL DRILL RENTAL
    • REQUEST ASSISTANCE
    • SOIL TESTING >
      • SAMPLE REPORTS
      • Interpretive Guide For Soil Test Reports
      • WHY TAKE A SOIL TEST
      • HOW TO TAKE A SOIL TEST
      • SOIL TEST FORM
    • CONTRACTORS & RESOURCE PROVIDERS
    • The Tool Shed >
      • NO TILL DRILL RENTAL
      • PULL BEHIND SEED SLINGER
      • TREE PLANTER BAR
      • SOIL PROB
  • STORMWATER PARTNERSHIP
  • WATERSHED WORK
    • BEANBLOSSOM Watershed Project
    • FISH CREEK Watershed Project
    • INDIAN CREEK Watershed Project
    • LOWER SALT CREEK Watershed Project
    • PLUMMER/RICHLAND CREEK Watershed Project
    • UPPER SALT CREEK Watershed - Lake Monroe
  • CONSERVATION RESOURCES
    • COMPOSTING
    • COVER CROPS
    • EROSION CONTROL
    • FOREST STAND IMPROVEMENT
    • FOREST/WOODLAND MANAGEMENT
    • HUAP: HEAVY USE AREA PAD
    • INVASIVE PLANTS & WEEDS
    • LIVESTOCK
    • LIVESTOCK FENCING
    • NATIVE PLANTINGS
    • POLLINATORS
    • PONDS
    • RAIN BARRELS
    • RAIN GARDENS
    • SMALL & URBAN FARMING
    • SOIL HEALTH >
      • WHY TAKE A SOIL TEST
      • SOIL TESTING >
        • HOW TO TAKE A SOIL TEST
        • SAMPLE REPORTS
        • Interpretive Guide For Soil Test Reports
    • STORMWATER
    • WILDLIFE HABITAT
  • DISTRICT INFORMATION
    • CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS
    • 2024-2028 Long Range Business Plan
    • Board Meeting Minutes >
      • HISTORICAL MINUTES >
        • 1943-1949
        • 1950-1959
        • 1960-1969
        • 1970-1979
        • 1980-1989
        • 1990-1999
        • 2000-2010
        • 2011-2020
    • 80 YEARS OF CONSERVATION 1943-2024
    • District History >
      • MCSWCD Original Documents
    • PAST SUPERVISORS
    • Supervisors Roles & Responsibilites
  • VIDEOS ON CONSERATION
  • CONTACT INFORMATION
    • REQUEST ASSISTANCE
  • NEWSLETTER & PARTNER LINKS
  • BLOGGING OUR STORY & SUCCESS
  • LOCAL WORKING GROUP