Duties of the Department
Our goals are clean water, healthy soils, resilient landscapes and a thriving agricultural community, accomplished with the implementation of natural resource conservation programs offered through federal and state sources.
Through the Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District, (Lawrence County SWCD), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lawrence County landowners get free technical assistance and can apply for cost-share dollars to install conservation practices that address resource concerns affecting the soil, water, air, plants and animals, plus the human aspect of managing their resources.
History
Our roots go back to 1939. According to The Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts, “In 1939 Tennessee authorized the formation of Soil Conservation Districts when the legislators passed the Soil Conservation District Act into Law. By 1945 Tennessee landowners had successfully petitioned the state for the charter of nearly 30 Districts. Discussions among these early Districts led to the formation of an association for Districts.” Lawrence County’s Soil & Water Conservation was created in 1952 and remains one of nearly 3,000 Soil and Water Conservation District Offices across the country.
Links
Contact Information
Donna Garretson, District Technician
USDA Service Center
237 Waterloo Street
Lawrenceburg, TN
Phone: 931-762-6913 ext. 3
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday:
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Lawrence County SWCD is comprised of 5 local farmers that volunteer their time to guide state and federal funding at a local level and provide technical assistance and outreach to all of Lawrence County. Each serves a three-year term.
The SCWD meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6 pm at the USDA Service Center. Meetings are open to the public. Any changes will be announced on the Lawrence County TN Soil & Water Conservation District Facebook page. Please call the SWCD office if you desire to attend via teleconference.
Larry McAnally
Chairman
Steven Long
Vice Chairman
Parkes Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Kenny Springer
Member
Cameron Benefield
Member
Examples of recent conservation practices completed in Lawrence County include cover crop implementation, grazing management, livestock water development, wildlife habitat plantings, pollinator plantings, and many others, including:
Stream Bank Restoration to repair severely eroded streambanks and reduce sedimentation
Heavy Use Area Feed Pads provide a permanent winter-time feed area to reduce erosion and sedimentation in surface waters and protect the soil structure in pastures.
Livestock water development projects include watering troughs with floating ball valves, which optimize water usage and reduce waste.
High Tunnels, or Hoop Houses are similar to greenhouses and allow farmers to extend their growing season and produce more food.
