Rock Lake Conservation Newsletter - Spring 2026
Spring is nearly here, and the Rock Lake Conservation District is ready to hit the ground running on projects for the coming year. 2025 was a year of building our team and defining our goals. In 2026, we'll bring some of those goals to fruition as we continue to expand RLCD’s impact on local agricultural operations and communities.
RLCD Project Highlights
Riparian Restoration on the Palouse River
LeAnn and Bob have been hard at work prepping the site for one of our two riparian restoration projects for 2026. This particular site was overrun with poison hemlock, a common problem along Whitman County rivers, creeks, and railroads.
They have successfully brought down all of the hemlock, and the site is now ready for the next phase of the project: removing the overgrowth and prepping the site to be sprayed and cleared for planting.
Agricultural Technology Upgrades
RLCD is offering agricultural technology upgrades through the Natural Resource Investment Fund. Upgrades can include new GPS systems, sensors, or other tech used to reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned.
Solar Watering Facilities
While the RLCD is fortunate to have many creeks and rivers flowing through the region, solar watering facilities are offering access to water for farmers and ranchers outside of those riparian regions. In 2026, RLCD plans to assist two different producers in digging and building solar watering facilities on their properties.
Community OUtreach
Soil Health Seminar: Rooted in Results
We hosted the first RLCD community event in 8 years on February 24th - a Soil Health Seminar focused on providing new and exciting information on biochar, composting at scale, soil health on the Palouse, and managing noxious weeds. Nearly 50 local producers and conservationists joined us for collaboration and learning.
Wheat Week
In the first week of March, Maya conducted Wheat Week at the St. John and Endicott Elementary Schools with the 4th and 5th-grade classes. Wheat Week is a series of five lessons, delivered over the course of one week. These lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, educating students about systems, water, soil, conservation, DNA, energy, and wheat, as well as how they impact our daily lives.
35 local students expanded their understanding and appreciation for the commodity that provides so much to our communities. To end the week, they wrote thank-you letters to Washington wheat farmers to express their gratitude for the labor and dedication it takes to grow wheat across Washington.
Fish in the Classroom
This year, both St. John and Endicott are participating in the Fish in the Classroom project. In January, eggs were delivered to their tanks, and since then, they have hatched and grown into healthy fry that will be released into Rock Lake in May.
In cooperation with the Department of Ecology, the third-grade students from both St. John and Endicott will meet on their local creeks to evaluate riparian habitat, conduct water quality testing, and identify the various species that call Pleasant Valley Creek and Rebel Flat Creeks their homes. They will then compare the data they collect at these sites to the data they collect from Rock Lake on release day.
Students are getting a real taste of environmental science and how it can be applied in the real world!
Habitat Stewardship: Home is where the Habitat Is
Early this year, Maya visited the Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms in St. John and Endicott to teach about wildlife habitat in our communities. The National Association of Conservation District Stewardship Week theme for 2025 - 2026 was “Home in Where the Habitat Is,” so our students learned about habitats, natural resources, and conservation. They explored the world of native bees and pledged to be conservation helpers in their communities!
Upcoming Events
Coffee Talk Friday - April 3rd, 2026
Join us for coffee and donuts at 7:00 AM at the office - we can’t wait to see you there. April’s topic of discussion will be focused on residue management for planting spring crops.
Plant on the Palouse with the Palouse Conservation District
Join the Palouse Conservation District to improve water quality and create habitat along local streams by planting native trees and shrubs and removing invasive plants at various sites near Pullman.
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 10 am - 12 pm along Dry Fork Creek in Pullman.
Saturday, April 4, 2026 from 10 am - 12 pm along a tributary to the South Fork of the Palouse River, about six miles outside of Pullman.
St. JOhn COmmunity Stock Show - April 24 - 25, 2026
Come see us at the St. John Community Stock Show in April and support your local youth as they present their livestock, art, and mechanical projects. Rock Lake Conservation District will have a table in the Community Building where we will offer all kinds of information and activities for all ages!
