ANGOLA, Ind. (WLKI) - As cooler weather arrives and residents prepare gardens, fields and landscapes for winter, the Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District is encouraging landowners to consider how seasonal changes can affect soil health and water quality.
In its latest newsletter, The Conservator, the district reminds residents that healthy soil provides nutrients for plants, stores water, supports organisms and helps reduce runoff and erosion.
Bare soil, however, can be vulnerable to fall rains, winter weather and wind. District officials said rain can wash away valuable topsoil, while wind can carry exposed soil from fields, gardens and other open areas.
The district recommends several steps for homeowners, farmers and other landowners to protect soil through the colder months.
Cover crops, mulch, grass, native plants and crop residue can help shield soil from rain and wind. Residents are also encouraged to inspect gutters and downspouts to make sure runoff is not creating bare or eroding areas around homes and buildings.
Rain gardens and native plantings can help capture and filter stormwater, while trees, shrubs and other perennial plants can provide long-term benefits by helping hold soil in place.
The district also encourages residents to put fallen leaves to use instead of burning or removing them. Leaves can be mulched into lawns, added to compost piles or used as a protective layer around garden plants.
Fall can be an ideal time to establish trees, shrubs and many native species, according to the district. Officials recommend planting six to eight weeks before the area's average first hard freeze, which can occur between Oct. 11 and Oct. 20 in the Steuben County area.
The Soil and Water Conservation District said even small conservation decisions can support healthier watersheds.
"Whether you manage farmland, a large property, or a small backyard, the conservation choices you make today can help protect our soil and water for tomorrow," the newsletter states.
The district is also promoting River Runner, an online interactive map that allows users to select a location and follow the route a virtual raindrop may take through streams, rivers and watersheds.
The tool is intended to help people understand how runoff can carry soil, nutrients, grass clippings and other pollutants from local properties into larger waterways.
In addition, the district will host a free Forestry Field Day on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Rolling Acres Farm, 5768 W. Lake Valley Road near Pleasant Lake.
The event is the final workshop in a three-part forestry series that began in 2018. It will focus on a Timber Stand Improvement plan and how woodland at the farm has responded in the three years since a timber harvest.
Speakers from Crowe Forest Management and the Natural Resources Conservation Service will discuss timber quality, forest health, wildlife habitat and woodland management.
Residents are asked to register online by Oct. 13 or call the Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District at 260-665-3211, extension 3.
Source: Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District