The North and Middle Rivers Watershed Management Authority (WMA) is hosting a Watershed Education and Wetland Field Day on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Madison County Conservation Center located at 2508 Pammel Park Trail, Winterset, Iowa. Topics to be discussed include Watershed Management Authorities, wetlands, funding opportunities, and on-road structures. The field day will conclude with a tour of wetlands on the Eyerly Farm. Don Eyerly and his son, Colt, have land along the Middle River where attendees can see restored wetlands and shallow water areas for wildlife.
This event is free and open to the public. County, city, and soil and water conservation district officials are encouraged to attend, as well as landowners and residents in the North and Middle Rivers Watersheds.
Lunch will be provided. Register to attend by September 8 at this link: forms.gle/7tFkXheGuqCnxrAg9 or by calling Tabitha Kuehn at 402-603-0008.
Note: Pammel Park Road is closed at the Harmon Tunnel; please allow extra time to make the detour. For more information about the North and Middle Rivers WMA, visit www.madison-swcd.org/nmrwma
The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District is pleased to announce Tom Moss was selected to receive the 2026 Ken Wagner Outstanding\ Beginning Commissioner Award! The award was presented by Sean Dolan, President of Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI), at the 80th Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Commissioners’ Annual Conference in Ames on Tuesday, August 25th . Tom Moss stepped up to run as a write-in candidate for the 2022 election after learning Madison SWCD was expecting a vacancy on the board. Within his first year as commissioner, he stepped into the role of Vice Chair after a commissioner resigned, and ended up presiding over the last five meetings of 2023. In 2024, he was elected as the Chair and has continued to serve in that role since then. Out of the 95 board meetings scheduled since Tom became a commissioner, he has only missed a few.
Besides his leadership on the commission, he has also served as the SWCD’s representative to the North Raccoon River Watershed Management Coalition since 2023, the Madison County REAP Committee in 2025, and participated on Madison SWCD’s Planning Committee while it was active from 2023 to 2025. Additionally, he has been involved with Cultivating Connections, a new project started by the Madison County Conservation Board that is bringing together partners and community members to focus on connecting the dots between the health of the environment, human health, and community health. Tom has also participated in CDI Spring Regionals and Annual Conferences and Conservation Partnership Day at the Capitol.
It’s difficult to put into words everything Tom does for Madison SWCD. He fulfills the duties of a commissioner, but goes above and beyond. He is well-prepared for meetings and he often follows up with tasks after meetings, such as helping write statements, drafting resolutions, and taking the time to meet with other community members and stakeholders about topics relevant to soil and water conservation. Tom has made himself accessible and available to staff and other commissioners; there have been numerous occasions where he has stopped by the office to handle district business outside of meeting days, as well as addressing other concerns that may arise. He has also volunteered to help with numerous special events such as field days, often being the first to arrive to set up and staying to help pack up afterward.
Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners are volunteer positions, and all commissioners should be commended for their service. However, witnessing first-hand how much time Tom devotes to Madison SWCD and related meetings and events really speaks to his commitment and passion for conservation.
The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District was pleased to have Emma Shields join the Winterset field office staff in May as the 2026 Summer Intern. The Conservation Technician Intern position is employed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and Madison SWCD provides a 20% local cash match.
Emma recently completed her hours, and you can read about her internship experience here.
