The Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District (PWSWCD or District) is focused on protecting and enhancing our water and soil resources by providing leadership in the conservation of soil, water, and related resources to all Prince William County citizens through technical assistance, information, and education.

Services

Agriculture

• Free Technical Assistance for Traditional Ag. and Horse Farms

• Conservation Plans

• Nutrient Management Plans

• Soil Sampling

• State Cost-Share/ Tax-Credit Programs

Youth Education

• Conservation Capsules (Classroom Education)

• Farm Field Days

• Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)

• Arbor Day

Water Quality

• Adopt-A-Stream

• Water Quality Monitoring

• Floatables Monitoring

• Plastic Pollution

Home Owners

• VCAP

• Gardener's Gold

• Pollinators Corner

Want to show support for water quality projects? Then check out the Chesapeake Bay License Plate! Click here for an application.

Is This a District Question?

We get lots of questions every day and we want to make sure you are guided in the right direction!

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• For services the District provides, click here. This will tell you who from District staff can help you out!

• For services the District does not provide, click here. If your question is not on the list, contact any of us and we'll do our best to help!

• Got questions, but not in Prince William County (or City of Manassas)? Click here for information on how to contact your local soil & water conservation district!

3rd Annual, Native Plant Symposium for Beginners

Saturday, February 6, 2021  9am-12pm via Zoom

Create a Beautiful Yard, save time & money, improve water quality, build habitat for pollinators and birds.

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Keynote Speaker: Alonso Abugattas, The Capital Naturalist on social media and the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County.

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Whether you are new native plants and what they can do for your property or looking for alternative landscaping ideas this event is for you! Native plants can:

• Create a beautiful yard

• Save time so you can enjoy other activities

• Create habitat for birds & pollinators

• Save money on fertilizer & pesticides

• Improve Water Quality

• Curb Erosion

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Topics this year include:

• Establishing and Maintaining Meadows

• Natives for the Suburban Yard

• Trees: Reestablishing the Cornerstone of Our Ecosystem

• Waterfront Properties and Native Plants

• Natives for Small Properties

• Introduction to Soils

• Site Assessment and Design

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Registration Fee: $5.00

Call 703-792-7070 for more details.

Virginia Household Water Quality Program - Prince William Drinking Water Clinic

What's in Your Well Water?

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It's that time of year again!

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From VCE's website:

"Public water supplies are tested daily for contaminants but most private water supplies, like wells, are rarely tested. Well owners are encouraged test their water regularly to detect and correct problems early. The Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VHWQP) tests water samples for iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E.coli bacteria. All for the low cost of $65.

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The Prince William Drinking Water Clinic has 4 parts:

1. Watch Kick-Off Meeting PowerPoint & How to Collect Water Sample using these links: Kickoff Meeting PowerPoint and How to Collect Water Sample

2. Kit Pickup- on Saturday, March 27th from 9:00am-12:00pm (noon) at the VCE Office, 8033 Ashton Ave, Manassas 20109. We will be offering a drive-through pick up (Please remain in your car, masks are required. Be on the lookout for VCE tent and signage)

3. The Sample Drop Off on Wednesday, March 31st from 6:30am-10am ONLY at the VCE Office, 8033 Ashton Ave., Manassas 20109. (Physical distancing measures will be in place and masks are required). Be on the lookout for VCE tent and signage)

4. Results Interpretation Meeting (Zoom)- on Monday, May 10th, 7:00pm-9:00pm, there will be a live Zoom interpretation meeting which will explain the report, include a discussion, and answer questions on dealing with water problems.  Zoom link and details will be emailed to all registrants.

The number of kits is limited. Pre-payment is the only way to guarantee you will get a kit." Please click here to register for a kit and for more information.

Virginia Farm Voluntary Agricultural Best Management Practices Inventory

Calling all Prince William County farmers! This survey is very important, particularly for farmers who have not participated in our cost-share assistance program!  (Farmers who have participated in the cost-share program are still encouraged to take the survey.)

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From VASWCD's website:

"Virginia is embarking on a survey to help us learn more about voluntary conservation practices on Virginia farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed…like yours!  The information you provide in response to the survey will help Virginia tell the story of what farmers are doing to conserve soil and improve water quality. This is incredibly important information that can help agriculture achieve its water quality goals for the Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay."

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Deadline to take the survey is March 12, 2021.

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To access the survey, click here. The survey should take around 20 minutes to complete

For more information on the survey, click here.

Virginia Conservation Assistance Programs (VCAP)

The application period for the VCAP program is now open! We will be accepting applications until April 30, 2021. For an application form and more information, please click here.

Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) Education Videos

Being unable to hold public events at this time, the VASWCD has compiled a YouTube channel for kids and adults containing videos across the state on a wide variety of topics including Agriculture Best Management Practices, Watersheds, Septic Systems, Soils, and more!

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Check out their channel by clicking here!

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Did you know we also have a YouTube channel? Check out our channel by clicking here! (New videos recently added!)

Become a Certified Water Quality monitors in Biological Monitoring!

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Water Quality monitors in Biological Monitoring? If so, visit: https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/upcoming-water-monitoring-workshops/online-certification to start your online identification training!

Please ensure to fill out this registration form: https://forms.gle/NRir3RFUiX1pDkNK6 so that the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) can follow-up on your progress. After your online training, please e-mail Veronica Tangiri to start on Part II: Field Practical Test and complete certification.
 

Virginia Waters Photo Contest (for Virginia college/university students)

The Virginia Water Resources Research Center (VWRRC) invites all Virginia college and university students to submit photos featuring water in Virginia for their annual photo contest. Submit your best photos today!

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This contest is open to all Virginia college and university students. For more information and to make a submission, see https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/virginia-waters-photo-contest/.

Nutrient Management: An Important Message for Producers

The 2025 Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals are here, and we need every farmer's help! We need documentation of implementation of every nutrient management plan in Prince William County. Here's what you can do to help:

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• Work with your nutrient management planner to develop a plan that can be implemented easily

• Keep application and yield records

• Put in place a record-keeping system so you can justify application and yield data.This must include required elements such as dates, field locations, loads, bales, bushels, gallons of manure, tons of litter, etc.

• Share this record-keeping system with your planner.

• Update your plan as changes occur on the farm.

• Be prepared at the end of the growing season to evaluate how well you were able to follow your plan.

If you have questions, please contact your nutrient management planner:

(571) 379-7514

• Mike Miller

• Jay Yankey

• Duane Mohr

• Nicole Slazinski

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You can also call the DCR Warrenton Regional Office at 540-351-1501 or
540-351-1570. For more information, click here.

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Below are some record-keeping sheets to further assist you:

• Nutrient Management Field Records Sheet

• Nutrient Management Plan Records

• Nutrient Application Calculations Records

• Manure Analysis Results Records

• Soil Test Results Records

• Nutrient Management Record Sheet for Overseeding Pastures

• Nutrient Management Records (All of the records above combined)

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Calendar

The Board meets monthly at 8033 Ashton Avenue, Manassas,Conference Room B (due to COVID, all public meetings have been moved to 12801 Hazelwood Dr, Nokesville, VA 20181 until further notice). Citizens may have a voice in local natural resources issues by attending these meetings and taking part in District programs.

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For a .pdf version of our calendar, please click here.

Please note: The 2021 calendar may change; it is a draft and hasn't been officially approved by the BOD at this time.

TRC = Technical Review Committee (reviews conservation plans, cost-share practices, VCAP, etc.)    BOD = Board