Landscaping for Clean Water Program 2020

Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District Anticipating Another Year of Record Participation in Landscaping for Clean Water Program

Dakota County, MN – The Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District, a local government unit, is a resource for those interested in partnering for soil and water conservation.

One of their programs for Dakota County residents is the Landscaping for Clean Water program, which includes free educational workshops, hands-on design classes, technical assistance during site visits, and grants for homeowners. The goal of the Landscaping for Clean Water program is to teach residents how to beautify their yards while also protecting local water quality and providing habitat for pollinators.
These goals seem to resonate with Dakota County residents: participation in this program has been skyrocketing over the past two years. In 2019, workshop participants nearly doubled from attendance 2018 and the number of raingardens and native pollinator gardens installed through the grant program was 13% higher than in 2018 and 50% higher than in 2017.

Registration is now open for the 2020 introductory workshops (residents must attend one of these to register for hands-on design courses and gain access to reimbursement grants.) Many courses are expected to sell out this year, so pre-registration is important. Workshops are open to anyone, no matter where they live. The public can learn more and register online at the Dakota SWCD website: dakotaswcd.org/cleanwater.html.