Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District

06/02/2026

Coming soon.....

Interested in learning more about native warm season grasses? They can help you overcome the summer cool season grass slump if you are grazing. This one is not too far away in Chillicothe...

06/02/2026

Summer Grazing Maintenance Forage tips for June provided by NRCS and OSU-Extension:
• Continue hay harvests. Minimize storage losses by storing hay under cover.
• Clip pastures for weeds and seedheads as needed.
• Slow rotation allowing for a longer recovery period.
• Do NOT graze below the minimum desired residual height.
• Crabgrass, a warm season annual grass, can provide high quality summer grazing in southern Ohio and is highly preferred by livestock. If desired, remember crabgrass needs some annual soil disturbance to keep coming back. Research needs conducted to determine its effectiveness in northern Ohio.
• Begin grazing native warm season grasses. Start at 18-20 inches and stop at 8-10 inches.
• Begin grazing introduced warm season grasses.
• Select varieties to plant in August/September and order seed.

05/31/2026

May 31 is National Dam Safety Awareness Day—a reminder that safe dams protect lives, property, and our communities.

If you own or are responsible for a dam, now is a great time to refresh your knowledge and strengthen your preparedness. Join Ohio Dam Safety for our Dam Safety Webinar on June 17th at 11:00am to learn about best practices, responsibilities, and resources available to you. Find information about the webinar: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/water-resources/ohio-dam-safety/dam-safety-virtual-training

Stay informed. Stay prepared. Help keep Ohio safe.

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

DEADLINE approaching soon! There are still a few spots left to sign up your 3rd-5th grader for Earth Camp! Please do so by Wednesday, June 3rd. Give us a call for any questions you may have at 740-653-8154 and check out the flyer below for more details. We can't wait to see you there! Registration form can be found here:https://fairfieldswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Earth-Camp-Registration-Forms-Updated-2026.pdf

05/28/2026

Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day to sign up for our teacher training event. More information can be found here -- https://ofswcd.org/news-events/event-calendar.html/event/2026/06/05/ohio-envirothon-teacher-training-event/554480

05/26/2026

A baby bird fell out of the nest, what do I do?

🐦Look directly above where the bird was found or in the immediate surrounding area for trees or bushes to locate the nest. You can also watch from a distance to see or hear if there is other bird activity that can clue you in on the nest.

🐦If the bird appears uninjured, place the bird back in its nest or construct an artificial nest if the original nest cannot be located or is too high.

🐦If unsure of the age, try placing the bird in the nest. If it hops back out, it’s probably a fledgling. These young birds are typically lousy flyers the first
time they leave the nest. They have not fully developed their flight muscles or skills and are somewhat uncoordinated. These grounded young birds are usually able to fly within a few days.

If you have a concern about a young bird, give us a call at (614) 793-9453 or message us directly for more advice. Or visit https://www.ohiowildlifecenter.org/found-an-animal/

05/22/2026

Board of Supervisors in action. Did you know our board is publicly elected and serve for a 3-year term? We appreciate current and former board members who volunteer their time. Board members are elected by Fairfield County landowners/residents during a 30-day period, either beginning or ending at our Annual Meeting/Banquet, usually held in September. They must be Fairfield County residents. Experiences and expertise in areas such as agricultural conservation, urban development, farmland preservation, conservation, and environmental education and wildlife is a plus. Strong financial and strategic planning, human resources, policy development, and teamwork skills are recommended. The district is responsible for developing programs and policies to address local conservation needs. Supervisors provide leadership and represent the citizens of Fairfield County on a variety of conservation issues.

05/21/2026

When we design grassed waterways and wetland/pond dams or emergency spillways, height and type of vegetation are factored in. Typically a tall grass presents a great deal of resistance to shallow flow. Without getting too technical, out of A (longest) - E (shortest), we use a retardance class of C (6"-12") for capacity and D (12"-18") for stability based on a tall fescue vegetal cover. So, we recommend mowing a couple of times a year or so to keep grass at around 11" (if tile in area) - 12" tall. While aesthetically pleasing, mowing like a lawn increases the risk of erosion.

05/21/2026

Mark your calendars!