Lake SWCD works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to create plans that conserve water, prevent soil erosion, convert irrigation systems and inform the public about conservation problems.

Lake Soil and Water Conservation Newsletter (July 2008)

Services provided:

• Low-volume irrigation designs

• Irrigation system evaluations

• Irrigation watering schedules

• Soils information sheets

• On-site soil interpretations

The District also offers:

• Computerized mapping using a Geographic Information System.

• Subsurface profile mapping using a Ground Penetrating Radar System

• A definition of boundaries using a Global Positioning System.

For more information, call Lake SWCD at (352) 742-7005, ext. 6, or visit the District office at 1725 David Walker Drive, suite C, Tavares, FL 32778

From Eden to Sahara

Botanist John Kunkel Small's "From Eden to Sahara:Florida's Tragedy" is a classic in the environmental literature of Florida as it warned of the dangers of dredging and draining as early as 1929. The reprint of this prophetic book includes updated forewords by award winning nature author and filmmaker Bill Belleville and scientists Dr. Jay Exum and Randy Mejeur, as well as a valuable annotated glossary and many of Small's original photos. Out of print since its first edition, "Florida's Tragedy" is a seminal book that is required reading for all who would understand how Florida has long sought to tame its unique natural landscape. It also provides an invaluable time capsule in which a trained botanist records a Florida that no longer exists.

A copy of this book can be purchased at the Lake Soil & Water Conservation District office for $14.95.