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Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District

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United States
Sycamore, IL
DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District

It is our mission to responsibly conserve healthy soil and clean water for all generations.

09/07/2026

🌱 Midwest Farmers: Your Voice Can Help Shape Conservation Programs

Conservation programs are meant to work for the people who are actually working the land. So… what’s working, what’s frustrating, and what could be done better?

A new survey is asking Midwest farmers to share their experiences with farm conservation programs and your feedback could help shape how these programs are designed and delivered in the future.

🌱 Got ideas for making programs easier to use?
🌱 Have you run into barriers or frustrations?
🌱 Have conservation programs worked well for you?

This is your chance to speak up and help improve them.

👉 Take the Midwest Farm Conservation Survey and learn more: https://www.morningagclips.com/share-input-in-the-midwest-farm-conservation-survey/

And if you know a farmer who has an opinion, send this their way!

09/06/2026

Grateful for our partnership with DeKalb County Pheasants Forever and their commitment to advancing conservation and wildlife habitat throughout our community. Organizations like ours share an important goal: working with landowners and local partners to promote healthy soils, clean water, productive landscapes, and quality wildlife habitat. Whether it’s improving habitat, supporting conservation practices on working lands, or helping connect people with the resources and knowledge they need to be good stewards of the land, partnerships play an essential role in making conservation happen. Congratulations on your successful evening of conservation impact at the 2026 Annual Banquet!

09/04/2026

Great day of learning about regenerative agriculture right here in DeKalb County! Grace and Brooke participated in a field day at Pasture Grazed Regenerative Farm, hosted by the Sanderson Family and the Sand County Foundation. Awesome day seeing a regenerative farming system that brings together organic crop rotations, cover crops, livestock integration, rotational grazing, and soil health. It was exciting to see how cattle and sheep can play an important role in building healthier soils and cycling nutrients back into the farming system.🐄 Highlights included seeing the Sandersons’ use of virtual fencing technology with their cattle, which gives them greater flexibility to manage grazing, improve grazing efficiency, and incorporate livestock into their cropping and nutrient management systems.🌱 Pasture Grazed also uses cover crops and grazing to improve soil health, demonstrating how thoughtful crop and livestock management can work together to build a more resilient farming system. Thank you to the Sanderson Family for sharing their experiences and demonstrating how innovation, stewardship, and agricultural productivity can work hand-in-hand!

09/03/2026

💧 Get $850 for Sealing an Abandoned Well!

Do you have an old, unused well on your property in DeKalb County?

The DeKalb County Soil & Water Conservation District is offering an $850 incentive to eligible landowners who complete a well sealing project.

Properly sealing an unused well helps protect groundwater and drinking water supplies by preventing contaminants from entering the groundwater system.

💰 $850 incentive per completed well sealing project
📍 Must be located in DeKalb County
💧 Help protect our groundwater for the future

If you have an abandoned or unused well on your property, contact our office to learn more about eligibility, project requirements, and how to get started!

📞(815) 756-3234

09/02/2026

🐟 Largemouth Bass are a top predator commonly stocked in ponds and lakes to help maintain a balanced fish population. They feed on bluegill and other forage species, preventing overpopulation and supporting healthy growth across your fish community. In well-managed waters, Largemouth Bass typically grow to 12–20 inches, with trophy-sized fish possible under ideal conditions.

Interested in adding some to your pond? Find our fish sale information at https://swcdekalbil.org/fish-sale and order by September 18th!

08/31/2026

🌱 What is the purpose of a grassed waterway?

When rainfall runs off a field, it naturally follows the path of least resistance. Where water concentrates, it can create channels and eventually develop into serious erosion.

That's where a grassed waterway can help.

Grassed waterways are shaped, vegetated channels designed to safely move concentrated runoff through a field while protecting the soil from erosion.

💧 What do they help with?
• Reduce gully and channel erosion
• Safely convey runoff
• Slow the movement of water
• Reduce sediment entering nearby waterways
• Protect valuable farmland

Instead of fighting the way water naturally moves across the landscape, a grassed waterway works with it.

All pictures are of grassed waterways built in DeKalb County!

08/26/2026

🐟 Triploid Grass Carp are sterile, plant-eating fish commonly stocked to help control excessive aquatic vegetation in ponds and lakes. They feed primarily on submerged plants, reducing the need for chemical or mechanical w**d control and improving overall water usability. Because they do not reproduce, their population can be carefully managed for long-term vegetation control. In suitable waters, Triploid Grass Carp typically grow to 15–30 pounds, with larger fish possible under good conditions.

Interested in adding some to your pond? Find our fish sale information at https://swcdekalbil.org/fish-sale and order by September 18th!

08/24/2026

🌱 What is the purpose of a filter strip?

Have you ever noticed a strip of grass or vegetation along the edge of a field? That may be a filter strip!

Filter strips are planted areas designed to slow and filter runoff before it leaves a field. As water moves through the vegetation, sediment and other pollutants can be trapped before reaching nearby ditches, streams, and rivers.

🌧️ What do they help with?
• Reduce soil erosion and sediment runoff
• Filter nutrients and other pollutants
• Protect nearby waterways
• Provide habitat and food for wildlife

These filter strips have been planted by DeKalb County residents!

08/21/2026

🎣 Our fish sale is BACK!

If your ponds are needing a bit of extra life this season, we can help! In partnership with Andry's Fish Farm, we will be hosting our biannual fish sale pickup on October 2nd, from 2:00-4:00.

Please get all order forms in by September 18th, 2026. Order forms can be found on our website through the QR code or at swcdekalbil.org/fish-sale

Physical forms will be mailed out to those on our mailing list next week!

Address

1350 West Prairie Drive
Sycamore, IL
60178

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18157563234

Website

https://swcdekalbil.org/

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