Welcome to the Darke Soil and Water Conservation District website.  Darke SWCD is a legal subdivision of the State of Ohio responsible for the conservation of natural resources within Darke County.  We have a special emphasis on soil and water with a focus on assisting landowners in planning and applying conservation practices on the land.  Darke SWCD is dedicated to the sustainable use of our natural resources and to encouraging positive behavorial changes that produce a higher quality of life for our citizens.  The District assists all Darke County residents, schools and jurisdictions through our free services and dynamic partnerships that continually provide innovative solutions for the challenges of our region.

We are new to the online world, please take a few moments to look through our entire website.  If you see anything missing or have suggestions, we encourage you to call our office or fill out the form on the Contact Us page and share your ideas.  Our goal with this site is to be more efficient at getting our programs and messages out to the residents of Darke County.

Thank you for visiting!

CURRENT NEWS

Registration for the Soil Fertility Nutrient Management Workshop is now open!

Registrations are now being accepted for the Soil Fertility Nutrient Management Workshop series. Registration is limited to the first 30 registrants and is only $30.00! Click here for more information about the workshop or to register online. 

Fall Soil Sampling with Darke SWCD

Darke SWCD will again be a collection point for homeowners to bring in their soil samples. If you are interested in having a soil analysis for your garden, lawn or flower bed, bring your samples to our office by September 30, 2016. The cost for each soil sample is $15, and there's no limit on how many samples you can submit. For more information, including sampling tips, click here or contact our office.

Milkweed Pod Collection Event

This fall, the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative is partnering with Ohio Soil & Water Conservation Districts to organize a statewide Milkweed Pod Collection event. Click here for details and click here for the press release! 

​2016 Fish Sale 

The 2016 Darke SWCD fish sale order form is now available! To print an order form or submit it electronically click here.

Scholarship Winners Announced

Congratulations to the two winners of Darke SWCD scholarships: Megan Bergman of Ansonia & Kasey Hummel of Mississinawa Valley. Click here for more information about the winners and the scholarship!

Greenville Storm newsletter now available!

The Spring 2016 edition of the Greenville Storm is now available! Click here to view.

2016 Board of Supervisors Monthly Board Meeting Notice

The Darke SWCD Board of Supervisors monthly board meetings are scheduled for the first Monday of each month at 8:00 AM.  The monthly meetings will be held at the Darke SWCD office located at 1117 Southtowne Ct, Greenville, OH 45331.

For additional information or if you would like notice of board meeting date/location/etc. changes please contact the district office at 937-548-1715, Ext. 3 or email jared.coppess@darkeswcd.com.  The Darke SWCD office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Newly Elected Supervisor Sworn In, Board Reorganization

At the January board meeting, newly elected supervisor Gary Goettemoeller was sworn into office.  Shortly after opening the meeting, the board of supervisors went through a reorganization.  The 2016 officers for the Darke SWCD Board of Supervisors are as follows:

Chairman - Bill Roll
Vice Chair - George Skidmore
Treasurer - Monty Stump
Secretary - Tom Harrod
Publicity - Gary Goettemoeller

Education & Outreach Effort:  Ag Pollution Abatement Program

Water quality has long been a concern, and recent events in Lake Erie, Grand Lake St. Mary’s, Buckeye Lake and the Gulf of Mexico have brought that concern to the front of people’s minds. Earlier this month, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1 (SB1) which aims to mitigate harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Amid new legislation and increased interest in and scrutiny of agriculture, the Darke Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will release a series of monthly articles on agricultural topics. Be on the lookout for future columns from Darke SWCD staff on SB1, manure application setbacks, manure storage and stockpiling, cover crops and other related topics.

Darke SWCD staff would like to engage the county in a conversation on environmental stewardship. This series of articles will provide farmers with information to help them protect water quality. Additionally non-farming community members can learn what farmers are doing and can do to protect water quality in our lakes, rivers and streams. Click link below to find all articles in this series as they are released.

Report a Spill (24/7):  800-282-9378

The Ohio EPA Spill Hotline allows you to report release of any material that impacts public health or the environment, including chemicals and petroleum products. Be prepared with as much of the following information as possible:
  • Responsible party (name of carrier, owner,operator or facility).
  • Date/time (discovered/occurred).
  • Location (address, cross street, mile marker).
  • Material(s) (chemical, product, or common name).
  • Quantity (estimated release/total).
  • Hazards (extremely hazardous substance, placard, materials safety data sheet [MSDS]).
  • Affected media/area (air, land or waterway, including threats to ditches, sewers, streams).
  • Actions/notifications (evacuations,containment, contractor hired).
  • Contacts on scene (responder cell phone number, responsible party, contractor, facility point of contact).
  • Other useful information (truck DOT or rail car number, chemical UN ID number, MSDS, etc.).






Like Darke SWCD on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to receive updates & news about upcoming events!



Darke Soil & Water Conservation District
1117 South Towne Court
Greenville, Ohio 45331

Office:  937.548.1715, Ext. 3