What Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts Are
Soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) are local units of government that manage natural resource programs in their counties, working with landowners and other governments in rural and urban areas, according to the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) says SWCDs exist to conserve soil, water and related natural resources on private land, per its SWCD page. If you farm, own rural land or have a ditch, shoreline or erosion problem, your district is usually a good first call.
How Many Districts Are There
The sources do not agree on an exact count. MASWCD says Minnesota has 88 SWCDs in eight areas, with at least one in each of the 87 counties and Otter Tail, Polk and St. Louis counties each having two. BWSR's establishment table lists 90 districts. Either way, almost every Minnesota county has its own district, so you can look yours up by county.
What Districts Do
BWSR lists these powers for districts:
- Conduct resource surveys and demonstration projects.
- Carry out conservation measures on district lands with landowner consent.
- Cooperate with agencies and landowners to prevent and control erosion.
- Develop comprehensive and annual conservation plans, which are required to receive state grant funds.
- Build and maintain structures, acquire equipment and supplies, and charge for goods and services.
- Publish information, advise county and municipal officials, and present an annual budget to the county board.
Authority comes largely from Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103C, with district board powers in section 103C.331, per MASWCD.
How the Board Works
Each district is governed by a board of supervisors. BWSR describes a five-member board in which four are elected by county citizens and, in some cases, one is appointed by a tribal band. MASWCD describes five locally elected supervisors serving four-year staggered terms, so two or three seats are up every two years. BWSR's supervisor page adds that counties with more than five county commissioners can have more than five supervisors. The board sets policy, annual and long-range plans and budgets, and many districts have full-time or part-time staff.
Who Can Run and How Elections Work
Per the BWSR supervisor page:
- Supervisors are usually elected to four-year terms starting the first Monday in January, with no limit on consecutive terms.
- A candidate must be eligible to vote in Minnesota, be at least 21 when taking office, and live in the district at least 30 days before the general election.
- The filing period runs from late May to early June.
- Supervisors may be elected at large, where all voters in the district vote, or by nomination district, where only voters in that district vote.
- After redistricting, new elections are held in all districts at the next general election, with an exception for small boundary changes.
Under Minnesota Statutes 103C.311, boards outside the seven-county metro area may, with state board approval, adopt a resolution to elect supervisors by district, and metro-area boards must.
Terms and Seats
In districts that elect supervisors by nomination district, terms are staggered, and after a new district is drawn the board assigns seats by lot to two-, four- and six-year terms. Nomination district boundaries follow county commissioner districts and precincts. MASWCD notes that nomination districts, mandated in 1974, help ensure geographic distribution of supervisors. A supervisor must live in the supervisor district they represent, per section 103C.311. Supervisors must also complete the oath of office before any claims are paid.
Supervisor Pay
Supervisors receive no salary but are compensated for meeting attendance and reimbursed for expenses, per MASWCD. BWSR says per diem is set by board resolution within statutory and BWSR limits, only one per diem is paid per day, and mileage is reimbursed up to the maximum tax-deductible federal rate. Meals are reimbursed at actual cost when necessary for district business, and per diem counts as taxable income.
How Districts Are Funded
MASWCD says funding comes from county, state and local sources. Program administration and landowner project funding are largely state dollars allocated by the legislature and passed through BWSR. General operating funds come from BWSR, counties, fees for service, grants and partnership agreements with the federal government or other conservation organizations.
Finding Your District
- The BWSR SWCD directory lists board and staff contacts, addresses and phone numbers.
- MASWCD has an interactive map and a list of district websites at maswcd.org/find-your-swcd.
What This Means for a Landowner
Districts work with private landowners, with landowner consent on district projects, and they develop annual and comprehensive conservation plans. Because plans are required to receive state grant funds, a district's plan is often what decides which projects get funded locally. Many districts have staff who can answer questions, and the BWSR directory lists contacts. Your district also advises county and municipal officials, so concerns raised there can reach the county board.
Practical Tips
- Call your district before starting work near a ditch, shoreline or steep slope.
- Ask what programs and state grant funds your district is administering this year.
- Attend a board meeting to see how local priorities are set.
- Thinking of running? Mark the late May to early June filing window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are SWCDs state agencies?
No. BWSR says they are political subdivisions of the state, governed by locally elected boards.
How long is a supervisor's term?
Usually four years, starting the first Monday in January.
Who funds my district?
County, state and local sources, with much of the program money passed through BWSR.
How old must a candidate be?
At least 21 when taking office.
Minnesota Listings Covered by This Guide
- Freeborn Soil and Water Conservation District
Works with Freeborn County farmers on conservation practices, cover crops and water quality in the Shell Rock and Cedar watersheds.
MN | (507) 373-5607 Website - Grant Soil and Water Conservation District
Grant County soil and water district assisting landowners with conservation plans and cost-share projects.
MN | (218) 685-5395 Website - Hubbard Soil and Water Conservation District
Hubbard County district covering lakes, forests and cropland with technical help for landowners.
MN | (218) 732-0121 Website - Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District
Jackson County district working with row crop farmers on erosion control and drainage questions.
MN | (507) 662-6682 - Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservation District
Kandiyohi County district offering conservation planning and cost-share to farm and lake-shore landowners.
MN | (320) 403-4350 Website - Lac qui Parle Soil and Water Conservation District
Lac qui Parle County district supporting buffers, cover crops and soil health on western Minnesota cropland.
MN | (320) 598-7321 Website - Le Sueur Soil and Water Conservation District
Le Sueur County district providing conservation help to farmers in the Minnesota River valley area.
MN | (507) 419-0365 Website - Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District
Lincoln County district based near Ivanhoe offering conservation technical assistance in the southwest prairie.
MN | (507) 694-1630 Website - Lyon Soil and Water Conservation District
Lyon County district tied to county government in Marshall, offering conservation planning for local farmers.
MN | (507) 532-8207 Website - Mahnomen Soil and Water Conservation District
Mahnomen County district serving farm and tribal-area landowners in the northwest with conservation programs.
MN | (218) 935-2987 Website - Rice Soil and Water Conservation District
A unit of state government in Rice County led by a five-person elected board that approves cost-share contracts and provides education, financial aid and technical help to landowners.
1810 30th Street NW, Faribault, MN 55021 | 507-332-5408 - Rock Soil and Water Conservation District
Rock SWCD was established in 1945 and gives Rock County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Roseau Soil and Water Conservation District
Roseau SWCD was established in 1956 and gives Roseau County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Scott Soil and Water Conservation District
Scott SWCD was established in 1941 and gives Scott County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District
Sherburne SWCD was established in 1944 and gives Sherburne County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Sibley Soil and Water Conservation District
Sibley SWCD was established in 1952 and gives Sibley County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - St. Louis North Soil and Water Conservation District
Established in 1959, the northern St. Louis County district serves landowners in the Iron Range and northern forest area with conservation assistance.
MN - St. Louis South Soil and Water Conservation District
Established in 1963, the southern St. Louis County district helps landowners around Duluth and the southern part of the county with conservation planning and cost share.
MN - Stearns Soil and Water Conservation District
Stearns SWCD was established in 1949 and gives Stearns County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Steele Soil and Water Conservation District
Steele SWCD offers technical help to private landowners on conservation practices and works to cut polluted runoff from farmland, roads and towns into local lakes and rivers.
235 Cedardale Drive SE, Owatonna, MN 55060 | 507-451-6730 - Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District
Stevens SWCD was established in 1956 and gives Stevens County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Swift Soil and Water Conservation District
Swift SWCD was established in 1950 and gives Swift County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Todd Soil and Water Conservation District
Todd SWCD was established in 1965 and gives Todd County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Traverse Soil and Water Conservation District
Traverse SWCD was established in 1957 and gives Traverse County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Wabasha Soil and Water Conservation District
Wabasha SWCD was established in 1960 and gives Wabasha County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Wadena Soil and Water Conservation District
Wadena SWCD was established in 1958 and gives Wadena County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Waseca Soil and Water Conservation District
Works with USDA NRCS in Waseca County on cost share, the district tree program, RIM easements, the Wetlands Conservation Act, EQIP and the Conservation Reserve Program.
105 22nd Avenue NE, Waseca, MN 56093 | 507-835-4800 - Washington Soil and Water Conservation District
Washington SWCD was established in 1941 and gives Washington County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Watonwan Soil and Water Conservation District
Watonwan SWCD was established in 1954 and gives Watonwan County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Wilkin Soil and Water Conservation District
Wilkin SWCD was established in 1944 and gives Wilkin County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Winona Soil and Water Conservation District
Winona SWCD was established in 1938 and gives Winona County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Wright Soil and Water Conservation District
Wright SWCD was established in 1943 and gives Wright County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN - Yellow Medicine Soil and Water Conservation District
Yellow Medicine SWCD was established in 1950 and gives Yellow Medicine County landowners and farmers local conservation help, including cost-share programs, tree and soil programs and water quality projects.
MN
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.