Washington State Conservation Commission

All across Washington State people are practicing farming techniques to stop soil erosion, from contour farming and buffer strips to wind breaks and mulching. One new practice used by farmers in South Central Washington, assisted by the Warden Conservation District, is the application of Polyacrylamide (PAM). 

PAM is a synthetic water-soluble polymer which binds soil particles together. Once soil particles suspended in water are bound together by PAM, they settle out, so water has a harder time washing them out of irrigated fields. Less soil washed out of fields means better water quality for receiving waters and less topsoil being washed away.

The Warden Conservation District offers technical assistance and cost-share dollars to help farmers apply PAM to their fields. The result has been cleaner water for the O’Sullivan and Potholes Reservoirs.

All 47 conservation districts in the State are dedicated to helping private landowners reduce soil erosion and runoff, protect water quality, and enhance wildlife habitats. There are many approved practices for landowners to embrace voluntarily, and conservation districts are there to help.