The Mercer SWCD provides technical assistance to landowners interested in agricultural conservation practices. The assistance provided includes site evaluation, survey, design and construction inspection of conservation practices. Other technical assistance services include conservation planning and soils information. All technical work is guided by NRCS standards and specifications for permanent conservation practices.
In many cases, cost share money is available for landowners to install conservation practices. Cost share can come from federal, state, or local sources. Learn more about these options by visiting our Cost Share page.
The following is a list and description of the technical assistance provided by our staff.
 | Agrichemical Containment Facility - a permanent structure providing an environmentally safe area for storage, handling, and mixing of on-farm liquid agrichemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides. |
| Composting Facility - used for the biological stabilization of organic material (dead livestock). |
| Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) - a plan designed to assist in the management and utilization of manure for livestock operations. |
| Conservation Plan - a plan designed to describe the schedule of operations and activities needed to solve the identified natural resource concerns and problems. |
| Field Windbreak - a strip of permanent vegetation, usually trees, established at the edge or around the perimeter of a field. |
| Filter Strips - a strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forest land) and environmentally sensitive areas. |
| Grade Stabilization Structure - a structure used to control the grade cutting in natural or artificial channels. |
| Grassed Waterway - a constructed channel that is shaped or graded to required dimensions and established with suitable vegetation. |
| Group Drainage - a group of individuals in the same watershed working on a single drainage project involving tile mains or open ditches. Group Drainage can be Senate Bill 160 projects as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code Section 1515.20 or voluntary groups. |
| Waste Storage Facility - an impoundment made by constructing an embankment and/or excavating a pit, or by fabricating a manmade structure; examples include holding ponds and concrete tanks. |
| Waste Treatment Lagoon - an impoundment made by excavation for biological treatment of animal or other agricultural waste. |
| Waste Treatment Strip - a treatment component of an agricultural waste management system consisting of a strip or area of herbaceous vegetation to filter out impurities. |
| Waste Treatment Wetland - a shallow water area made to treat agricultural waste. |
| Waste Utilization - using agricultural wastes such as manure and wastewater or other organic residues to avoid potential pollution problems. |
| Wetland Development and Restoration - the construction of a wetland facility to provide the hydrological and biological benefits of a wetland. |