For years, erosion and runoff along Hangman Creek and Little Hangman Creek have damaged farmland and degraded habitat. Now, farmers are partnering with the Spokane Conservation District (SCD), Pine Creek Conservation District (PCCD), and the Washington State Department of Ecology through the Hangman Creek Riparian Restoration and Conservation Program to change that story. The program provides technical assistance and financial incentives to help landowners voluntarily restore creeks, reduce erosion, and improve water quality.
Generational grower John Heaton worked with SCD and partners to reshape a straightened stretch of Little Hangman Creek into natural bends and plant hundreds of trees along the banks. When spring floods came, the restored channel held firm, protecting fields while improving habitat for fish and wildlife.
With projects like this, farmers and their conservation district partners are showing that collaboration works. Through voluntary conservation, they’re building a more resilient future for the Hangman Creek watershed, one where healthy water and productive farmland flow together.
Generations of farming along Hangman Creek have faced erosion and water quality challenges. Through a partnership between the Spokane and Pine Creek Conservation Districts and the Washington State Department of Ecology, local landowners are restoring natural stream channels, planting native vegetation, and stabilizing creek banks, all while keeping working lands productive. Together, they’re proving that voluntary conservation benefits both farms and fish.
Established in the 1890s and donated to Washington State University in 2020, Vetter Farm is jointly managed by the Stevens County Conservation District and WSU Extension. This 158-acre property serves as a working demonstration farm, supporting soil health research, agroforestry trials, and educational field days that bring local producers together to share ideas and test new approaches.
In the glacial valleys of Stevens County, the Hagen family partners with the Stevens County Conservation District to advance voluntary conservation on their registered Black Angus and Hereford operation. Through programs like VSP and Floodplains by Design, they’re improving soil health, managing manure responsibly, and maintaining productive irrigated pastures.
