District Capacity
The Dearborn County SWCD . . .
Third oldest county in the Hoosier state host to progressive Soil and Water Conservation District
by DeeDee Sigler, IASWCD communications manger
Heading southeast out of Indianapolis towards Cincinnati, if you take a right turn at Greensburg and travel further south, you are likely to find the third oldest county in the Indiana territory. Dearborn County is surrounded on the north by Franklin County. The Ohio River and Laughery Creek form the southern boundary. To the west is Ripley County, and to the east is more of the Ohio River and the Buckeye State.
 Left: Tanners Creek Falls
Principle waterways are the Whitewater River in the northwest corner of the county, the east and west forks of Tanners Creek, North and South Hogan Creeks, and Laughery Creek.
At the center of this diverse geography is the Dearborn County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The District is the heart and soul of agricultural and urban best management practices for landowners in both the Tanners Creek and Hogan Creek watersheds, and the SWCD also is a partner with neighboring Districts in the South Laughery Creek Watershed Project.
“When I came on the job last year, I was so pleased and impressed with this District,” says Darrell Nicholson, NRCS SE Area Conservationist. “This SWCD obtains the necessary local support and leverages the technical assistance from NRCS . . . they are exceptionally good at partnering and going beyond what is needed to get the job done.”
Leading the way for the SWCD is Rita Cutter, District Coordinator, a veteran staff member of 20 years. Rita serves as the secretary/treasurer for the Board of Supervisors and office manager. She often is the first person most people will speak with or see when they contact the office with conservation questions or concerns. She ensures they are directed to the right staff member for answers or assistance. Rita also is the bookkeeper/financial manager for the SWCD.
 The Dearborn County team: (from the left): Brad Dawson, Supervisor and IASWCD South-SE Region Director; Rita Cutter, District Coordinator; Ken Lane, NRCS District Conservationist; Jennifer Hughes, SWCD Storm Water Coordinator; Vickie Smith, District Technician; Doug Daggy, NRCS Soil Conservationist; Darrell Nicholson, NRCS Area Conservationist SE; and Heather Wirth, Watershed Technician/Educator.
Urban Assistance
Rain Garden Program
Last year the Dearborn County SWCD was awarded a Clean Water Indiana Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Grant from the State Soil Conservation Board to install rain gardens for residents in urbanized areas of the county. This landscaping feature, which can be used in an urban or rural home setting, uses native perennial plants. In an urban setting, the plants manage storm water runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs, sidewalks and parking lots.
In 2008, the District allocated funds for eight landowners in the Rain Garden program. Bayer Becker Engineering and Hrezo Engineering both donated time in designing the rain gardens. Jennifer Hughes, Dearborn County SWCD Storm Water Coordinator, says the SWCD provided a one-time reimbursement of 75 percent up to $1,000 per Dearborn County landowner for the installation of a rain garden. Cost-share  reimbursement includes all required materials in rain garden construction and rental of any construction equipment.
The plants in the rain garden help filter pollutants such as fertilizers, sediment, metals and bacteria from entering into the water bodies. This is how rain gardens serve as an important BMP to recharge the groundwater supply and prevent erosion and polluted storm water runoff.
Kevin Kendall, Lawrenceburg, allows individuals to visit his home to view his rain garden, seen in the photo above. The rain garden grant assistance program is still available to Dearborn County landowners who own land in urban areas.
Hidden Valley Lake: Multiple Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)
Hidden Valley Lake (HVL) is a community in Dearborn County with over 1,900 homes located on 1,746 acres of rolling, wooded land and 561 acres of common ground and recreational areas. Approximately 5,800 people lived in HVL at the beginning of 2008.
Hughes says this MS4 was originally a dairy  farm. In the 1970s, HVL was formed by Rupel Development. The lakes were dammed to provide a designed upscale private community. Private lots are about a one-quarter acre in size. The main amenity is a 150-acre lake and seven smaller lakes. Blue Lick Creek and Doublelick Run Creek run through the area.
Hidden Valley Lake is an 11-digit hydrologic unit code and part of the Great Miami River Watershed. The community also has one of the largest populations in Dearborn County. HVL has a police force and a maintenance department to clear approximately 35 miles of snowy roads and maintain the community.
The SWCD implemented a grant from the Dearborn Community Foundation to pay for water testing at 12 locations throughout the Hidden Valley Lake area. In 2008, this MS4 wrapped up its first permit cycle and began the next five-year cycle. Current water quality data concludes there is high turbidity which appears to be from construction sites. High E.coli levels shown in tests also could be due to the older sewer lines throughout the community and a high infiltration rate of rainwater, failing septic systems upstream of the area and wildlife. Further investigation is needed throughout the life of this permit.
 Mulching, an erosion control blanket, sediment basin and storm drains are some of the urban BMPs that Hughes has reviewed and approved for the Swanson Medical Office Complex in Dearborn County (shown in the photo at the right). Last year, there were 18 projects submitted for Rule 5 permits that included commercial properties, church expansions, hotels, sanitary sewers, road construction, wetland mitigations, drainage improvements, public services, utilities and fills. There are approximately 4,300 acres being converted to other uses and 1,500 acres being disturbed by construction activity.
On the Farm Best Management Practices
 Ron & Sandy Pearson, 2008 River Friendly Farmer recipients
Ron Pearson is a former military man who served in the Air Force in Florida. He and his wife, Sandy, wanted to move back to Indiana where they were both from. Though not from an agricultural background, they knew they wanted to settle in the country in order to provide their two young sons with the chance to learn to appreciate the land.
They found “their spot” in Dearborn County where they bought 35+ acres that needed much improvement. Ron wanted to raise cattle, but a lot of work would be required to get the land in good working order for the environment, his Angus and crossbred cow-calf herd, and for Ron. His farm is located in the Tanners Creek Watershed.
 “I wanted to do the right thing environmentally, so I called the SWCD and NRCS offices and asked them for help,” he says. “Vickie (Smith) and Ken (Lane) spent a lot of time with me explaining what type of practices would be most beneficial to my operation and the environment.”
Vickie Smith, the Dearborn County SWCD District Technician, says “In 2006, we helped Ron install 6,800 feet of permanent high tensile fence, and 29 acres of pasture/hay planting. Then in 2008, he installed 512-feet of pipeline along with three two-hole ball fountains and three 23x23-foot HUAPs (heavy use area protection sites) around fountains. He has been great to work with.”
Pearson also has implemented rotational grazing and alternative watering systems for his cattle. He has participated in the Farm Bill program for EQIP and the Tanners Creek Watershed Program 319 grant program. “He has been able to save tons of soil from eroding and nutrients from entering into local streams and rivers in the Tanners Creek Watershed,” says Smith.
EQIP practices Pearson installed in 2008 included:
- 1 HUAP feed pad
- 2,955 feet of pipeline
- 6 HUAPs around fountains
- 4 portable tanks
- 2 ball fountains
- 13.5 acres pasture/hay seeding
- Prescribed grazing
Other BMPs he installed to date (with and without cost share) include:
- 9 two-hole MiraFount livestock waterers with/HUAPs
- 4 portable tanks
- 4 frost-free hydrants
- 3,955 feet of pipeline
- 1 HUAP feed pad
- 45 acres seeded pasture/hay ground
- rented District seeder for cover crop on 15.8 acres in 2007
- Woodland and creek exclusion fencing for livestock
The Dearborn County SWCD's mission statement says the District “is committed to promoting natural resource conservation through education, available technology, technical assistance and partnership with other entities, with an understanding of our past and an eye toward the future.” The future looks bright with the enthusiasm, expertise and dedication of this experienced team of SWCD and NRCS staff who make up the Dearborn County conservation team.
For more information on the Dearborn County SWCD programs and initiatives, contact the office at 812.926.2406, ext. 3 or on the Web at www.dearbornswcd.org.
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Dearborn County SWCD
District Supervisors
- Marshall Alford, Jr., Chair
- John Kruse, Vice Chair
- Brad Dawson
- Ted Fowler
- Randy Ickenroth
District Staff
- Rita Cutter, District Coordinator
- Jennifer Hughes, Storm Water Coordinator
- Vickie Smith, District Technician
- Heather Wirth, Watershed Technician/Educator
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