How Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Districts Work
If you own land in Georgia, a conservation district already covers it. Georgia has 40 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which together cover all 159 counties, per the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The General Assembly created the districts in 1937 after the Dust Bowl. Today about 370 district supervisors serve across the state, and they are unpaid state officials who work with the Commission and with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The Commission describes its mission as to protect, conserve and improve the soil and water resources of the state, per its About Us page. It is based at 4310 Lexington Road, Athens, GA 30605, phone (706) 552-4470. Districts give citizens a way to set local resource priorities for state and federal assistance programs, and they meet monthly to plan their work and identify local needs.
What a District Can Do for You
The Commission's supervisor handbook says districts provide technical, educational and financial assistance to private landowners, and help landowners and developers carry out soil and water conservation measures. According to the handbook, a district may:
- Lend machinery and equipment, and make fertilizer, seed and seedlings available
- Hold equipment demonstrations, demonstration plots, field days and workshops
- Apply for grants to fund cost-share for practices such as best management practices
- Promote local and federal cost-share programs
- Oversee flood control structures, including watershed dams
Services vary by district, so call yours and ask what it currently offers. The handbook notes that districts cannot charge the public for services such as erosion and sediment control plan reviews, although they can recover printing costs and meeting room rental.
Working with NRCS
Districts cooperate with NRCS on Farm Bill programs such as EQIP. Through Local Work Groups, which districts chair, supervisors help set priorities for federal conservation dollars. The Commission and districts also work with NRCS on watershed dam funding and maintenance.
State programs to ask about
The Commission's About Us page lists an Agricultural Conservation Programs section with Best Management Practices for Georgia Agriculture, a Small Farms Program, USDA-NRCS programs, USDA-FSA programs, the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program, the Cogongrass Initiative and Soil Health. See the Agricultural Conservation Programs page. It also lists Water Quality cost-share projects under Section 319, erosion and sediment control for urban lands, and a watershed dams section. Open those pages for eligibility and funding details.
Who Sits on the Board
Each county has at least two supervisors: one appointed and one elected. One-county districts have five supervisors and two-county districts have six, per the Commission's election FAQ sheet.
Elected supervisors
Elected supervisors are chosen by popular vote in even-numbered years and serve four-year terms, per the supervisor handbook. The election is nonpartisan and runs alongside the November general election. The most recent one was held November 3, 2026, and it covered all vacant seats and seats expiring December 31, 2026. All registered voters in the county may vote.
Appointed supervisors
Per the handbook, the elected board members send first, second and third choice recommendations to the Commission at least 30 days before a term expires. The Commission's State Board reviews them and considers appointments at its next meeting. Appointed supervisors serve two-year terms, or until a successor is appointed.
Running for Supervisor
The election FAQ sheet gives these rules for the 2026 election:
- Candidates must be eligible voters in the county where they run.
- Current elected officials cannot run for the elected supervisor position.
- A petition needs at least 25 signatures from registered voters in the candidate's county.
- Petitions go to the county Election Superintendent by 12:00 noon on March 6.
- There is no qualifying fee.
The Commission's rules (Chapter 600-9) set elections for the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year, for supervisors whose terms expire December 31 of that year. Check the Commission's election procedures and your county elections office for the next cycle's dates.
Meetings and Money
All district meetings are open to the public. Notice must be posted at least 24 hours in advance, at the meeting location and in the local newspaper, and agendas must be posted. A quorum is a majority of the supervisors. The handbook lists district funding sources including donations, affiliate membership contributions, equipment rental income, feral swine control income, interest income and grants from local, state, federal and nonprofit sources. Districts report to the Commission through an annual report, a plan of work and an audit, all due in July.
Find Your District
Use the Commission's Find My Soil and Water Conservation District page, which lists districts and their counties. You can also check the regional meeting pages for Regions I through V or call the Commission at (706) 552-4470.
Before you call
- Bring your county and, if you can, your parcel map.
- Know what you want to fix: a gully, a pond dam, a creek bank, a pasture, or a plan for cost-share.
- Ask whether the district is currently taking applications for any cost-share program.
- If you want a say in priorities, ask to attend the monthly meeting or the Local Work Group.
Georgia Listings Covered by This Guide
- Alapaha Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Berrien, Clinch, Cook, Echols, Lanier and Lowndes counties; meetings rotate around the district.
GA - Altamaha Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Appling, Bacon, Coffee, Jeff Davis and Telfair counties; meetings are held at the Bacon County Extension Office in Alma.
Alma, GA - Blue Ridge Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District
District covering Fannin, Rabun, Towns and Union counties, meeting at the Pat Haralson Memorial Civic Center in Blairsville.
Blairsville, GA - Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District
District covering Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins and Richmond counties, meeting at the Burke County Office Complex in Waynesboro.
Waynesboro, GA - Broad River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Banks, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oglethorpe and Wilkes counties; meetings are held at a restaurant in Ila.
Ila, GA - Catoosa County Soil and Water Conservation District
Single-county district that meets at the UGA Extension Office on Maple Street in Ringgold.
Ringgold, GA - Central Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson counties, meeting third Thursdays at 11 a.m. at a restaurant in East Dublin.
East Dublin, GA - Clayton County Soil and Water Conservation District
Clayton County district meeting second Mondays at 11 a.m. at the Clayton County 4-H Extension Office.
GA - Coastal Soil and Water Conservation District
Coastal district spanning Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties, with meetings in Midway.
Midway, GA - Cobb County Soil and Water Conservation District
Cobb County district whose meetings take place at the Cobb County Farm Bureau on Powder Springs Road in Marietta.
Marietta, GA - Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District
Columbia County district meeting at Security Federal Bank in Evans.
Evans, GA - Coosa River Soil and Water Conservation District
Eight-county district (Bartow, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Paulding, Polk, Walker) based at the Region I office on SR 53 Spur in Calhoun.
Calhoun, GA - DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District
DeKalb County district that meets by Zoom; the link comes from the Region II manager.
GA - Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District
Nine-county district (Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole) meeting at the Stripling Irrigation Research Park on GA-37 in Camilla.
Camilla, GA - Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District
Fulton County soil and water conservation district; its board holds meetings by Zoom.
GA - Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Calhoun Office
Northwest Georgia field office of the state Soil and Water Conservation Commission, located on the SR 53 Spur in Calhoun, supporting local conservation districts and landowners.
1282 SR 53 Spur SW, Suite 300, Calhoun, GA | 706-624-1434 - Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District
Gwinnett County district meeting at the GJAC Building in Lawrenceville.
Lawrenceville, GA - Hall County Soil and Water Conservation District
Hall County district meeting in the conference room of the Hall County Agricultural Service Center on East Crescent Drive in Gainesville.
Gainesville, GA - Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District
Henry County district meeting second Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. at the Henry County Farm Bureau on Racetrack Road in McDonough.
McDonough, GA - Limestone Valley Soil and Water Conservation District
Five-county district (Cherokee, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, Whitfield) meeting at a restaurant in Ellijay.
Ellijay, GA - Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District
Lincoln County district that meets at the Lincoln County Agricultural Building on Rowland York Drive in Lincolnton.
Lincolnton, GA - Lower Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Clay, Lee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell and Webster counties, meeting at a restaurant in Shellman.
Shellman, GA - McDuffie County Soil and Water Conservation District
McDuffie County district meeting in the conference room of the old county courthouse on Main Street in Thomson.
Thomson, GA - Middle South Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District
Nine-county district (Ben Hill, Brooks, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Worth) meeting at the Tift County USDA Service Center on Carpenter Road in Tifton.
Tifton, GA - Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Macon, Peach, Pulaski, Taylor and Wilcox counties, meeting at the AgGeorgia Farm Credit building in Perry.
Perry, GA - Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties, meeting on Lanthier Street in Winder.
Winder, GA - Ogeechee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Screven and Tattnall counties, meeting at the Bulloch County Agricultural Center on Langston Chapel Road in Statesboro.
Statesboro, GA - Ohoopee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District serving Emanuel, Montgomery, Toombs, Treutlen and Wheeler counties, with meetings at the Treutlen County Library in Soperton.
Soperton, GA - Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jones, Morgan, Putnam and Taliaferro counties, meeting first Tuesdays at 8 a.m. at the Greene County Farm Bureau.
GA - Pine Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee and Talbot counties, meeting at the Buena Vista middle and high school campus on Eagle Drive.
Buena Vista, GA - Rockdale County Soil and Water Conservation District
Rockdale County district meeting fourth Fridays at 8:30 a.m. at the Rockdale County Extension Office.
GA - Roosevelt Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Meriwether and Troup counties, meeting at the Troup County Farm Bureau on Upper Big Springs Road in LaGrange.
LaGrange, GA - Satilla River Soil and Water Conservation District
Eight-county district (Atkinson, Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, Pierce, Ware and Wayne) that meets at a restaurant in Waycross.
Waycross, GA - Stephens County Soil and Water Conservation District
Stephens County district meeting at the Willard Kimsey Environmental Education Center on Clary Connector in Eastanollee.
Eastanollee, GA - Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Butts, Fayette, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties, meeting first Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the USDA service center in Barnesville.
Barnesville, GA - Upper Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Dawson, Forsyth, Habersham, Lumpkin and White counties; the meeting place rotates among the five counties.
GA - Upper Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District
Jasper and Newton county district meeting third Tuesdays at 10 a.m., alternating between the Jasper County Farm Bureau office and the Newton County Administrative Building.
GA - Walton County Soil and Water Conservation District
Walton County district meeting third Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. (except July and December) at the Walton County Farm Bureau.
GA - Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District
Warren County district meeting first Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. at a local restaurant in Warrenton.
Warrenton, GA - West Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District
District for Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Heard counties, with meetings at a pizzeria on Maple Street in Carrollton.
Carrollton, GA
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.