King Conservation District (KCD) held its first educational event of the season in mid-May. Ten farmers, landowners, and food system professionals gathered at Remlinger Farms alongside KCD staff to learn about agricultural drainage projects.
The Remlingers recently collaborated with KCD to replace two of their metal pipe culverts with state-of-the-art concrete box culverts alongside dredging of built-up sediments. The tour included a walk along the now-picturesque creek and information about how the project was done.
Agricultural drainage improvements are important to allow water to flow freely through farmlands, preventing or reducing flooding as well as providing fish safe passage. These improvements include dredging, construction of canals, and installation of larger culverts.
Landowners on the tour especially benefitted from learning about how the project was funded and conducted.
KCD will host a few more opportunities to learn about agricultural land improvements throughout the summer. In early August, there will be a rural riparian tour that will explore the benefits and process of installing riparian buffers as well as a manure and pasture management tour for horse and livestock owners on Aug. 26.
These events are open to everyone, and while most of their projects have been in rural and agricultural lands, urban residents are always welcome to come learn and explore possibilities. There are also several urban shoreline tours in Seattle this summer.
To explore the full list of KCD events or to register for a tour visit kingcd.org/get-involved/education-and-workshops/. If you would like updates on the upcoming August agricultural events, sign up for KCD’s monthly newsletter at the bottom of the page to be notified when sign-ups open.