Programs & Special Events

Cobb Soil & Water Conservation District partnered with the City of Austell to help develop the recently completed I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden and Educational Center. The property has been established by the City of Austell with individual 4'x8' gardening plots for residents to grow and maintain their garden in a community setting. The project also includes an outdoor classroom to host students from neighboring schools.

This project was a local-led effort by the city to enhance an area hit hard by the September 2009 floods, and is the historic homesite of I.T. and Lodemia Terrell, known for their generations for their vibrant vegetable garden and for always sharing their produce with the community.

Cobb Soil & Water Conservation District helped provide technical assistance as well as funding for the outdoor classroom.

Cobb County Conservation Program (CCCP) is a partnership between a Cobb County Municipality or local Not-For-Profit Organization and the District for the purpose of enhancing a public property through conservation measures.

CCCP Values:

Work on public land with public access

Enhance the natural resources of our community

Educate and support Cobb citizens

Find projects with clear and intrinsic value

Example Projects:

Streambank or Wetland Restoration/Stabilization Enhancements

Water Quality Improvements

Conservation Education

Community Gardens

The urbanization of Cobb County's watersheds has transformed even small, benign creeks into raging storm flows within deeply incised channels. The end result is a degraded ecosystem, which is adversely affecting the adjacent environment through which it flows. These conditions have created a need for assistance addressing stabilization and restoration of streambank areas. In an effort to help with "real time" solutions, the Cobb County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) constructed an urban stream stablization/restoration demonstration site.

The project site is located on Shaw Park Road off of Canton Highway within the northeastern portion of Cobb County inside Shaw Park. This stream typifies and urbanized stream within the Georgia Piedmont region. Cobb County TV23 filmed the progress through the project and the ribbon cutting ceremony.

With technical assistance from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 357 Watershed Dams have been constructed since 1953. These structures serve as flood control for Georgia citizens and many structures are nearing the end of their 50 year design life. Rehabilitation of these dams is needed to address critical public health and safety issues in Georgia communities.

Cobb SWCD helped to sponsor an Urban Small and Beginning Farmers Workshop. Partners included USDA-NRCS, Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation and Development Council, and Cobb County Extension Service.

With the growth of local grown products and expansion of urban farms, this workshop will likely be held again in the near future.

Cobb SWCD, NRCS and UGA Cooperative Extension Service hosted an introductory Equine Management Workshop on October 28, 2009.

Topics included:

Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management by Greg Bowman, Bartow County Extension Service

Grazing Management by Al Hubbard, Grazing Land Specialist, USDA-NRCS

USDA Programs by Valerie Pickard, District Conservationist, USDA-NRCS

Herd Health by Dr. William Walker, DVM, Equine Medical Associates, Douglassville

Cobb SWCD hopes to follow up with this workshop in the future.