About Us

Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District
Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District is a local unit of government established in 1965 to assist landowners with natural resource issues.

Mission

To protect the extraordinary natural resources of Lake County, our mission statement commits:
“To support the people of Lake County in protecting and conserving the land and waters through professional consultation, education, and resources.”

Board Meetings

We welcome and encourage public participation at our monthly board meetings! Board meetings are held on the second Monday of every month starting at 10:00 AM. Board meetings are held at our office in Two Harbors, and Zoom links are available to anyone who cannot attend in person. Contact District Manager, Tara Solem, via email at tara.solem@co.lake.mn.us or by phone at (218) 834-8370 for Zoom/call-in information and the meeting notice. The link has not been posted here for security purposes.

Click here for the calendar of upcoming meetings.

History of Soil & Water Conservation Districts

Minnesota’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) were formed in response to the Dust Bowl that was affecting the United States in the 1930s. With soil blowing all the way from the Midwest to Washington D.C., it became apparent that farmers needed assistance in altering their practices in order to use soil and water resources more wisely and to prserve these resources for future generations. In 1938, Minnesota gained its first SWCD in Winona County. Today, there are SWCDs throughout the entire state. SWCDs no longer solely focus on farming, and they have branched out to include programs focused on forestry, wetlands, and lakes and streams.