Land and Water Conservation reports 311 private well samples, grant activity and equipment needs

The Dunn County Land and Water Conservation division reported several program updates during the Aug. 20 committee meeting, including completion of a private well sampling program, progress digitizing soil evaluation records, and grant and equipment budget changes. Division staff reported a collaborative private well sampling effort with Public Health that collected 311 samples over six weeks; the county lab ran tests in multiple batches and staff said results will be sent to participating landowners as results arrive. The division said the sampling program required repeated coordination and that staff will share findings with property owners when available. The office said it has scanned and indexed over 1,000 historical soil evaluation reports, improving access for staff and plumbers and reducing the time needed to retrieve older reports. Staff also described new GPS and surveying tools lent from the land information office that allow on‑site real‑time data capture and faster synchronization to office systems, reducing the need for extensive winter drafting. Budget discussion: staff asked the committee to approve operating budget items and noted several grant line items will be adjusted based on actual awards and carryforwards. The division is budgeting for increased repair costs on equipment it rents to landowners, including a no‑till drill purchased in 2017 whose repair needs have risen, and moving a leased vehicle payment from capital improvements into an operating lease line item. Staff noted some grants (for example, Hay River farmer‑led watershed) have variable awards year to year; in one line they proposed increasing a projected award from $26,000 to $40,000 in anticipation of higher funding but acknowledged final grant awards will be confirmed after the budget year begins. Committee members asked whether overall operating expenses rose; staff said general operating remained largely stable but that salary and fringe increases are driving most countywide cost growth. The committee approved the Land and Water Conservation budget requests and asked staff to bring any necessary budget adjustments once grant awards and carryforwards are finalized. No vote details were recorded in the transcript beyond committee approval of the budget requests.