• 212 1/2 2nd St W.
  • Park Rapids, MN 56470
  • Phone: (218) 732-0121
  • Fax: (218) 732-3994

Mission Statement: The purpose of the Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District is to help preserve surface and ground water quality, to encourage wise land-use decisions throughout the district, and to foster a secure and prosperous community with agriculture, tourism and industry working together in harmony for the general welfare of the people of the district.

Current Projects and Events

Tree Liquidation Sale

Saturday, May 18 from 9:00 - 3:00 at our office.  All trees .50 each!

The following species are available: Basswood, Paper Birch, Bur Oak, Cotoneaster, Red Splendor Crabapple, Hackberry, Honeyrose Honeysuckle, Hansen Hedge Rose, American Plum, Snowberry, Balsam Fir, Jack Pine, Norway Pine and White Cedar. Cannot guarantee availability of species.

Hubbard County Photo Contest

We are having a photo contest for the cover of our 2013 Hubbard County Plat Book. Click here for photo contest rules. Deadline: Friday, May 31, 2013.

Community Partners Grant

Do you belong to a lake association and want to see some changes made to the lake’s shorelines? Is your community or nonprofit organization interested in planting a rain garden? Hubbard SWCD received $100,000 in Legacy funding that is now available to groups like yours. For more information, please go to our programs page.

Tullibee Lakes Forest Stewardship Program

Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) received $37,000 of the Clean Water Legacy Funds to protect and enhance water quality of deep cold water lakes. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) partnered with Hubbard County SWCD to provide funding to private landowners to actively manage forestland and maintain forested land cover within tullibee lakes watersheds (an area that drains into a specific lake).

Tullibee lakes have been identified as a high value resource that needs to be protected. Tullibee (aka Cisco) is a prey species of choice for lake trout, pike, muskie and walleye and they require cold and clean water to survive.

Landowners who own forested 20 acre parcels or larger and live within 9th Crow Wing, 11th Crow Wing, Howard, Kabekona, Big Sand, LaSalle, Spearhead and Ten Mile lake watersheds are eligible for grant funds. The funds provide a low cost Forest Stewardship Plan to qualified landowners.

This program is intended to help private landowners make decisions that sustainably manage their forests in a way that will ensure quality fishing habitat for many years to come.

For more information about this program you can visit the DNR's website or call the SWCD at 732-0121 to sign up for a plan.

Watersheds

There are several new projects that we are working on in conjunction with the MPCA. The MPCA has adopted a Watershed Approach. Hubbard County SWCD is comprised of three different watersheds, Crow Wing, Leech Lake River, and Mississippi River (Headwaters). The Crow Wing Watershed is now in its third year.  During this year, we will be compiling all of the data that was collected, the TMDL's for impaired lakes will be completed and Priority Management Zones will be identified.

We are holding a Crow Wing River Watershed Photo Contest! Click here for photo contest rules.

The Leech Lake River Watershed is in Phase 2. In this phase, we are continuing to collect lake and stream data as well as stressor identification (stressor ID) work. We are also working on watershed citizen awareness. 

The Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed is in Phase 1.  This initial phase is focused on watershed citizen awareness, preliminary stressor ID work, and collecting lake and stream data.

Irrigation Scheduler Program

This program is designed to give the farmer a second opinion on in-field soil moisture status that can assist the farmer's decision on if and when to irrigate. (The decision to irrigate is still up to the farmer.)

It's purpose is to prevent crop loss due to insufficient moisture and prevent ground water contamination due to over application of water and leaching of nutrients. The farmer will receive weekly visits to check soil moisture, weekly computer soil moisture graphs and a year-end summary showing irrigation totals, rainfall amount, and potential leaching events.  If you would like more information, please contact Julie at (218) 732-0121.

Aquatic Invasive Species Watercraft Inspectors

Hubbard County adopted an Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to do everything possible to eliminate all opportunities and pathways for the spread of AIS to Hubbard County lakes. Julie Kingsley (District Manager) is one of the task force members. If you have any questions about AIS or how you could help, please contact Julie.

The DNR held an AIS Forum in Walker to present and facilitate discussion of NW Minnesota's management of aquatic invasive species, intended to emphasize and strengthen partnerships in managing AIS. Click this link to view the Lakeland Public Television news report.

With Aquatic Invasive Species infestations surrounding our beautiful county, the lake associations wanted to take a proactive approach to the issue. In 2012, Hubbard County SWCD along with area lake associations,  teamed up to provide AIS Watercraft Inspectors on area public accesses.  We inspected over 7,100 watercraft this summer.  We inspected watercraft that came from 22 different Minnesota zebra mussel infested bodies of water and watercraft from 21 states with zebra mussel infestations.

Click this link to view the Minnesota State Management Plan for Invasive Species.

Board Meetings

Our next board meeting will be held at the City Hall Conference Room on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 8:30 am.