What is a Soil and Water Conservation District?
A soil and water conservation district (SWCD) is authorized by the Soil and Water Conservation District Act (73-20-25 through 73-20-48 NMSA 1978 ) to conserve and develop the natural resources of the state, provide for flood control, preserve wildlife, protect the tax base and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of New Mexico. SWCDs coordinate assistance from all available sources — public and private, local, state and federal — in an effort to develop locally driven solutions to local natural resource concerns. There are 47 SWCDs covering the majority of New Mexico. A soil and water conservation district is not: • a conservancy district , which delivers or supplies water for irrigation or other purposes; • the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service), a federal agency which provides technical assistance to SWCDs and others to implement conservation practices.
