ODNR Division of
Soil & Water Resources
2045 Morse Road, B3
Columbus, Ohio
43229-6693

(614) 265-6610
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History of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation

 

As with most natural resource management and environmental agencies, Ohio's Soil and Water Conservation programs grew out of necessity.

1934 Dust Bowl Dust Storm.
1941 -Creation of Ohio Soil and Water
Conservation Commission


By the 1930s, soil and water resources nationwide had been abused to the point of collapse....

1934 - Worst Dust Storm of the Dust Bowl

1935 - Federal Soil Conservation Act

1941 - Ohio Soil Conservation District Enabling Act (HB 646)
Creation of Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission

1942 - First Ohio Soil Conservation District (Highland) formed

1943 - OFSWCD formed with 3 SWCD members

1949 - ODNR created (Amended Senate Bill 13)
Division of Lands and Soil is one of original 7 ODNR Divisions

1963 - 88th Ohio SWCD formed (Lucas)

1969 - Division of Soil and Water Districts created in ODNR

1982 - Division of Soil and Water Conservation created by merger of
Division of Soil and Water Districts
Division of Lands and Soil, and
2 Division of Water programs

2009 - Division of Soil and Water Resources created by merger of
Division of Soil and Water Conservation and Division of Water