Now is the time to test your soils!

Fall is the best time to get your garden, lawn, or agricultural soils tested to get your fertilizer recommendations ready for next Spring. Click the carrot below to be taken to the soil testing information page:

Fox Springs

Please help us keep the water flowing. Fox Spring near Fairbanks, Alaska has been a vital source of clean water for people from near and far for over 100 years. The Alaska Dept. of Transportation- Public Facilities budget had eliminated upkeep for Fox Spring and had scheduled a shut down on July 1, 2017. A strong grass-roots effort to honor our water and to raise money was started.The group, Friends of Fox Spring was successful in raising enough money needed to cover operation and maintenance for a little while, but still needs support to keep it going.  To learn more, and contribute to the fund, please go to:

www.nscfundalaska.org/groups/friends-fox-spring

Soil Class for Realtors

The CE Shop is now hosting an online Continuing Education course called Alaskan Soils and Environmental Concerns for Realty. This course was created by staff at FSWCD with the goal of providing Alaskan real estate agents with the tools and knowledge to deal with permafrost and other issues presented by our unique climate. The course is informative for any landowner or prospective land buyer/house builder in Alaska. The following discount code will get you 25% off the cost of the course (full price is $35): ALASKA25. 
https://www.theceshop.com/online-education/alaska/real-estate/broker-and-sales-license/continuing-education/course/alaskan-soils-and-environmental-concerns-for-realty-3192-14835.html

    ELODEA - ALASKA'S FIRST NON-NATIVE INVASIVE AQUATIC PLANT 

Elodea is the first non-native invasive aquatic plant to become established in Alaskan water bodies. It has been found in waterbodies in Anchorage, Cordova, the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna area, and the Fairbanks area.  It was first detected in the Chena River system in 2009. Surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012 revealed that the lower 10 miles of Chena Slough which runs through North Pole is heavily infested with Elodea. In addition, Chena Lake, at Chena Lakes Recreation Area was found to be infested with Elodea, and a few isolated patches of Elodea were found in the Chena River. In 2015, Totchaket Slough, a slackwater slough located about 60 miles downriver of Fairbanks, was found to be heavily infested as well. 

In Alaska, Elodea infestations in water bodies can be expected to increase sedimentation, displace native vegetation, reduce biodiversity, degrade sensitive fish habitat, and interfere with safe river travel and floatplane operation. Elodea can be spread readily via boats and floatplanes, and because it reproduces vegetatively, a single fragment is all that is needed to start a new infestation. The Fairbanks Elodea Steering Committee propose to use diver-assisted suction dredging in the Chena River, and aquatic herbicide treatments in Chena Slough, Chena Lake, and Totchaket Slough. For more details please follow the links below. 

• Control Options for Elodea spp. in the Chena Slough near Fairbanks, AK: a complication of potential treatments 
• Chena Slough Elodea Control Trials: 2013 Overview 
• Integrated Pest Management Plan for Eradicating Elodea from Water bodies in Interior Alaska
• Environmental Assessment for the Interior Alaska Elodea Eradication Project
• Finding of No Significant Impact- Interior Alaska Elodea Eradication Project
• DEC Pesticide Use Permit for treating Elodea infestations in Chena Slough, Chena Lake, and Totchaket Slough with the aquatic herbicide fluridone:

1. Permit Application 
2. DEC Decision Document 
3. DEC Responsiveness Summary

Chena Slough Elodea Treatment 2017

The Elodea infestation in Chena Slough (between Plack Rd crossing and the mouth of Chena Slough) will be treated with the aquatic herbicide fluridone (Sonar^TM) starting in June 2017. Liquid fluridone will be delivered via an herbicide injection system at a concentration of 5-8 parts per billion (ppb) over a 12 week period starting on June 19th. Pelleted fluridone will be applied by boat on June 20th and 21st. There will be a follow up pellet treatment on August 8th -9th, 2017. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Chena Slough Elodea Eradication Project click here.  

At the target application rates, there are no restrictions on drinking, swimming, fishing, or livestock/ pet consumption of slough water.

If you use water directly from the slough for irrigation, there are some restrictions that may apply during the treatment period. For plants within the Solanaceae Family such as tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, and potatoes, do not use slough water if the measured fluridone concentration is greater than 5ppb. We recommend that you switch to an alternate irrigation source (e.g. well water) for these crops. 

Water sampling to test the concentration of fluridone in slough water will be carried out weekly over the course of the season. Please check HERE for updates on slough water fluridone concentration and irrigation restrictions. 

For results of fluridone analysis of well water samples please CLICK HERE. 

For a calendar of Elodea related monitoring, eradication, and outreach activities in summer 2017 click here. 

FSWCD Goals

1. Prevention and Eradication of Noxious & Invasive Species

2. Conservation of Plant and Soil Resources
3. Sustainable Agricultural Resources & Economy
4. Conservation/Maintenance of Water Resources
5. Conservation of Forest Resources
6. Education, and
7. Promotion of Affordable Energy