The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting a Conservation Tour Wednesday, June 15.

Attendees will travel on a coach bus to view practices that area residents implemented to stabilize stream banks, control gully and side-hill erosion, filter urban runoff, increase forage production on grazing lands, contain feedlot runoff, and improve manure handling systems.

This tour is open to anyone interested in soil and water conservation techniques in both the rural and urban settings.

The agenda is as follows:

Wednesday, June 15

8:30 a.m.--Leave Stearns County Service Center (by Mills Fleet)

8:45 to 9:25 a.m.--Hall, Noehring, Hart - Shoreline Restoration Project – Sauk River

Stearns County SWCD hosts tour June 15

9:50 to 10:30 a.m.--Stratford Addition, City of Avon – Storm Water Infiltration Project

10:45 to 11:25 a.m.--John Christen - Strip-till/No-till

11:45 to 12:25 Lunch at Spring Hill Park

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.--Mike Revermann – Water Control/Impoundment Structure, WASCOB, Diversion, Grassed Waterway, CRP native grass planting

1:35 to 1:45 p.m.--Allen Altendahl – Prescribed Grazing

2:00 to 2:40 p.m.--Conrad Lauer – Ag. Waste Management Facility

3:05 to 3:20 p.m.--Wayne Koeplin – Water and Sediment Control Basin (WASCOB), CRP

3:40 to 4:20 p.m.--Peter Walz – Ag. Waste Management Facility (with vegetative filter strip)

Approx. 4:45 p.m.--Arrive back at Service Center

The coach bus will leave the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park on County HWY 138 (west of Mills Fleet Farm) at 8:30 AM and returns at 4:45 PM.

Organizers point out that the departure site is NOT the USDA Service Center by Cash Wise Foods.

RSVP requested by June 13 to get an accurate count for the bus and food.

RSVP to Stearns County SWCD, 110 2nd St. South, Suite 128, Waite Park, 320-251-7800, ext. 3.

Lunch and refreshments are provided free courtesy of AgStar Financial Services, ACA of Waite Park.