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Our office will be closed on December 25th and 26th for Christmas, and January 1st for New Year's Day. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

***Our Webiste is Under Construction***

The Rice SWCD is excited to announce that our website is getting a much needed upgrade. We have merged main website with our online store website so that everything is in one place. We are also improving our accessibility for our customers with disabilities and coming into compliance with federal law. Please be patient with our website as we make this change, which will take some time to transfer information over to the new pages.

Two photos next to each other. Photo on the left is a series of water and sediment control basins. Photo on the right is of a grassed waterway.

Erosion Control Structures: Which is the Right Fit?

When projects are being completed by the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) or the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), there is a process to deciding on the type of structure that should be designed for a site.

Dec 2, 2025

A tractor and cover crop interseeder planting cover crops in standing soybeans in August.

Six Years of Success: Rice Creek Farmers Show Conservation Pays Off

Local organizations partner with farmers in the Rice Creek Watershed to study how cover crops affect nitrogen management and water quality.

Dec 2, 2025

examples of rill, gully, and sheet erosion

Farmers Can Earn Incentives for Soil Saving Practices

For many people, fall is their favorite time of the year. The leaves are starting to change, the temperature has dropped, and you can open up the windows to let the fresh air in. Driving across Rice County’s beautiful countryside, one of the first things you will notice is that our farmers are out in the field, operating the combine, tractor, and truck, working long into the night. To our farmers and your families, we wish you a safe and bountiful harvest. As you are working

Nov 19, 2025

An established buffer next to a drainage ditch in a farm field.

Between Land & Water: Buffers for Healthy Streams

The Minnesota Buffer Law was put into law in 2015 to promote healthy bodies of water in Minnesota. Perennial vegetative buffers have been shown to improve many different aspects of water quality. Buffers, also known as riparian filter strips, aid in filtering out nutrients and sediment from runoff, as well as provide bank stability and habitat for aquatic life.

Aug 27, 2025

A tractor and implement applies anhydrous ammonia to a field. Photo by Lynn Betts, courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Know Where, When to Apply Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer

St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) reminds farmers and commercial applicators that fall nitrogen fertilizer applications are restricted in some areas of the state. Under the MDA’s Groundwater Protection Rule, fall nitrogen fertilizer application is prohibited in vulnerable areas of Minnesota based on environmental concerns or risks.

Aug 26, 2025

Tape measure in green field showing plant height. Wind turbines in the brown field background. PVC frame marks measurement area.

Farmers Collaborate to Test Nutrients in Cover Crops

Local study finds nitrogen-rich cereal rye could help reduce fertilizer needs This spring, farmers from Rice and Steele counties joined forces to better understand the nutrient value of cover crops—specifically cereal rye—on their fields. With support from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota Extension, the Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Rice and Steele counties collected biomass samples from ten fields to assess the levels of n

Jul 23, 2025

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RICE SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT

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Signup for Newsletter

Latest News & Updates

Erosion Control Structures: Which is the Right Fit?

Six Years of Success: Rice Creek Farmers Show Conservation Pays Off

Farmers Can Earn Incentives for Soil Saving Practices

Between Land & Water: Buffers for Healthy Streams

Know Where, When to Apply Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer

Farmers Collaborate to Test Nutrients in Cover Crops

Events

Rainfall Totals

Follow Us

RICE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Order Trees & Native Plants ​

Request a Land Visit

Reserve Equipment

Signup for Newsletter

Latest News & Updates

Erosion Control Structures: Which is the Right Fit?

Six Years of Success: Rice Creek Farmers Show Conservation Pays Off

Farmers Can Earn Incentives for Soil Saving Practices

Between Land & Water: Buffers for Healthy Streams

Know Where, When to Apply Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer

Farmers Collaborate to Test Nutrients in Cover Crops

Events

Rainfall Totals

Follow Us

RICE SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Order Trees & Native Plants

Reserve
Equipment