What's New
Livestock & Land Program is now being implemented in San Luis Obispo County!
The Program offers solutions to issues commonly faced by owners and managers of small livestock facilities, and provides workshops, educational materials, technical assistance and funding assistance to address concerns such as erosion, drainage, mud and manure. For more information, click here to visit the Livestock & Land webpage. Become Friends with Livestock & Land on Facebook.
Our County has an important opportunity to demonstrate to resource agencies with grant program that landowners like you are interested in the Livestock & Land Program and want to see a full program implemented. A full program would include funding assistance integral to supporting landowners in the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) like manure bunkers, vegetated drainage swales, fenced sacrifice areas along with many others.
We want to hear from you! Go to our Contact Us Page and send an email saying you want to see the Livestock & Land Program continued. Also mention if you would participate in future workshops, trainings and/or be an implementation site for BMPs.
Upcoming FREE Workshops
Combating Mud with Paddock Management - October 15, 2011
Thank you to all who participated in this workshop!
For those that missed the workshop, presentations are available in the links below.
Site Planning for Horse Facilities by Ron Harben retired NRCS Conservationist
Pasture and Paddock Management by Marc Horney, Cal Poly Professor in Animal Science
Managing Rainwater by Regina Hirsch, Sierra Watershed Progressive
To attend, RSVP to Nicole at 772-4392 or nsmith@coastalrcd.org
Reducing Mud, Composting Manure and Rainwater Harvesting - October 22nd, 2011
This workshop will be held in Santa Ynez. Visit livestockandland.org for more information.
Get a Handle on Mud, Manure and Pests - November 12th, 2011
This workshop will be held from 9 to 12 at the Templeton Community Center at 599 Main Street in Templeton.
To attend, RSVP to Shayna at 434-0396 x3 or shayna@us-ltrcd.org
Check out the Organic Materials Exchange where you can find a home for your unwanted 'organic' waste or find useful materials for your garden!
The RCD was awarded a Clean Water Act 319h contract by the State Water Resource Control Board!
To address agricultural pollutant inputs, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (RCD) in partnership the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Morro Bay National Estuary Program received $465,500 in grant funds to improve water efficiency, nutrient management and water quality on agriculture lands in the Morro Bay watershed.
The State Water Resource Control Board’s Clean Water Act 319h funds will be used as a cost share with willing landowners to design and implement Best Management Practices through an Agricultural Water Quality Enhancement Program. Implemented practices will reduce inputs of nutrients and pathogens into Los Osos Creek, Warden Creek, Warden Lake, Chorro Creek and Morro Bay. Growers in the Program will benefit from improved efficiency of operations including water savings, cost benefit analysis for nutrient management and runoff water quality improvements. Ranchers in the Program will benefit from riparian fencing and off-creek watering systems and manure management systems.
The Agricultural Water Quality Enhancement Program will build upon years of work with local agricultural landowners to improve practices and reduce introduction of pollutants into creeks in the Morro Bay watershed. Given the small size of the watershed and the ability to focus on problem areas identified by past water monitoring, it is anticipated that completed projects will result in measurable reductions in pollutant loading along affected stream reaches.
Pismo Lake: The Pismo Lake informational meeting was held Februrary 2nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Pismo Beach City Hall. The two documents presented have been moved to our Documents and Downloads page. To read the Tribune article, 2-10-11 click here.
Glassy-winged sharpshooter has been identified in SLO County. County Agricultural Department Response Hotline 805-781-1117. More information can be found on their website.
Presentations & Videos
A Water Quality and Food Safety Forum was held on December 8, 2010. Follow the link to see video of the presentations on topics of co-management, state of the science, liability, and more.
Events
Board of Director’s Meeting
January 20, 2012
Grading Alternative Review Process
If you have plans to build a road, pond/dam, hillside benches or other grading projects, becoming familiar with the Grading Ordinance is an important step of the process. Check out our Grading Alternative Review page for more information.
Learn More
Grazing Management and Fencing Workshop
February/March , 2012
Irrigation and Nutrient Management Workshop
March/April, 2012