Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District

What Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District does

Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District (UWSWCD) is a quasi-governmental special district headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, serving central and eastern Lane County — including the McKenzie River, Bear Creek, and adjacent Willamette Valley watersheds. Founded in 1954, the District delivers voluntary, locally-led soil, water, and habitat conservation programs through direct technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, timber landowners, rural and neighborhood residents, Tribal Nations, and partner conservation organizations. Core programmatic surface area spans Water Quality & Conservation, Soil Health & Testing, Stream Restoration, Fire Resiliency & Recovery, Invasive Vegetation Management, Wildlife Habitat & Native Enhancement, Neighborhood Sustainability, and a newly launched Annual Native Plant Sale. The District also distributes grant funding through the Farmers Market Grant Program and targeted conservation grants (e.g., a $30,000 award to Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah in 2024).

Revenue is anchored by a voter-approved property tax base established under Lane County Measure #20-312 in November 2020, yielding an annual operating budget of approximately $3 million managed by a 9-member staff. This is supplemented by federal, state, and local grants (OWEB Restoration Grants, ODFW Private Forest Accord, EWEB Source Water Protection, Business Oregon), modest transactional revenue from unit-priced native plant and seedling sales, and donated conservation property (notably a contemplated $1.8M gift from landowner Arlene Dietz as part of the proposed $4M Rice Farm acquisition). Technology infrastructure is intentionally minimal: a WordPress website, Google Analytics, Zoom for public meetings, and Square for online plant sale ordering — no proprietary platform.

The go-to-market motion is hybrid: community-led engagement (board meetings, committees, public hearings, stakeholder engagement reports), event-driven outreach (35+ events in June 2026 alone, including the Douglas Tallamy author talk and annual plant sale), direct-to-landowner technical assistance in the field, and channel-partner distribution through farmers markets, watershed councils, and conservation nonprofits. A 2026-2031 Strategic Plan formalizes multi-year direction, and the District is preparing to scale into direct land stewardship via the Rice Farm acquisition on the McKenzie River — directly upstream of EWEB's sole drinking water intake.

Name

Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District

Legal name

Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District

Website

https://uwswcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Base (Measure #20-312): Voter-approved tax base passed November 2020 by Lane County citizens, providing recurring property tax revenue to fund District operations and conservation programs. Funds are accumulated into a reserve fund used to acquire conservation property and an office.
2. Federal, State, and Local Grants: District leverages tax-based funding to raise additional funds from federal, state, and local granting agencies. Includes OWEB Restoration Grants, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Private Forest Accord Grant Program, EWEB's Source Water Protection Program, and others.
3. Native Plant and Seedling Sales: Annual sale of native seedlings, trees, and plants through Lane County Oregon Small Woodlands Association (LCOSWA) partnership events. UWSWCD also launched its own First Annual Native Plant Sale on February 7, 2026, with pre-orders via Square online store.
4. Land Donations and Conservation Property Income: The District receives property gifts for conservation purposes. For the Rice Farm acquisition, landowner Arlene Dietz offered a $1.8 million gift, reducing the asking price from approximately $5.8 million to $4 million.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UWSWCD is a tax-funded local government entity that delivers voluntary soil, water, and habitat conservation programs to landowners, residents, Tribal Nations, and partner organizations in central and eastern Lane County, Oregon. Its core offerings include free technical assistance and conservation planning for farmers, ranchers, and rural residents; stream restoration and fish passage projects; fire resilience and recovery; invasive species management; soil testing; water quality programs; wildlife habitat enhancement; neighborhood sustainability education; native plant sales; and grant programs for farmers markets and conservation nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Working Lands Program: Free and voluntary program supporting farmers in adopting stewardship practices that keep working lands functioning as farms, businesses, and natural ecosystems; UWSWCD is a Working Lands partner.

Products and services

• Annual Native Plant Sale Annual sale of locally native plant species and seeds, including trees, shrubs, and groundcovers native to the Upper Willamette Valley, offered to the public via online pre-order and scheduled in-person pickup.
• Agricultural Services for Sustainable Land Management (Farmers and Rural Residents) Free, voluntary technical assistance and conservation planning for farmers, ranchers, and rural residents in central and eastern Lane County, covering soil health, water quality, fire resilience, invasive species, and native plant restoration on working lands.
• Fire Resiliency and Recovery Program supporting fire resilience, recovery, and Firewise practices across the District, including post-fire restoration in the Holiday Farm Fire footprint and defensible-space vegetation clearing for elderly, low-income, alter-abled, and veteran rural residents through Wildfire Mitigation Grants.
• Water Quality and Conservation Water quality and conservation technical assistance for agricultural and timber landowners, including Water Quality Conservation Specialist engagement to support voluntary conservation practices and local agricultural water quality plan implementation.
• Stream Restoration Stream and fish passage restoration projects, including the Bear Creek Delong Fish Passage Expansion, which removes a 12-foot by 35-foot dam and replaces a double culvert with a floodplain-spanning bridge to restore nearly a quarter mile of in-stream habitat for coastal cutthroat trout.
• Invasive Vegetation Management Invasive vegetation management services, including reed canary grass removal and replacement with native plants along streams and restoration sites.
• Soil Health and Testing Soil testing service provided to landowners to assess soil health and inform conservation planning on working and rural lands.
• Wildlife Habitat and Native Enhancement Wildlife habitat restoration and native enhancement program, including the Decade of the Oak initiative and partnership with the Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah native plant nursery producing 130+ native species.
• Neighborhood Sustainability Neighborhood-level conservation program supporting residents with resources for rainwater collection, pollinator and community gardens, and other ecological landscaping practices.
• Farmers Market Grant Program Annual grant program providing funding to local farmers markets for projects promoting conservation, local food access, SNAP/ DUFB processing, vendor support, and community food programming.
• Working Lands Program Free and voluntary partnership program supporting farmers and ranchers in adopting stewardship practices that keep working lands functioning as farms, businesses, and natural ecosystems, through personalized conservation plans delivered in collaboration with UWSWCD staff.
• Pure Water Partners Program Multi-agency coalition program delivering riparian forest restoration incentives, Firewise practices, septic system grants, and source water protection to landowners across the McKenzie and Willamette watersheds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Restored almost a quarter mile of in-stream habitat through Bear Creek Delong Fish Passage Expansion project (dam removal ~12 feet tall and 35 feet wide, double-culvert replaced with floodplain-spanning bridge).
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SWCA Environmental ConsultantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContracted by UWSWCD to develop additional design plans for the Bear Creek Delong Fish Passage Expansion project to ensure legal compliance and facilitate permitting. Includes full-scale removal of a 12-foot by 35-foot dam and replacement of a double-culvert bridge located in the headwaters of Bear Creek.
• Long Tom Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with UWSWCD and SWCA to secure project permits and finalize designs in preparation for project implementation in 2027 for the Bear Creek Delong Fish Passage Expansion. Bear Creek flows into the Long Tom River.
• Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition encouraging riparian forest stewardship. Co-administers septic system grants with Lane County and Business Oregon. Operates the Source Water Protection Program leveraged for the Rice Farm acquisition. The Rice Farm is directly upstream from EWEB's sole drinking water intake source.
• Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition supporting landowner incentives for riparian forest protection and Firewise practices.
• McKenzie Watershed CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition. Active in McKenzie River watershed restoration and landowner engagement.
• McKenzie River TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition supporting riparian forest protection in the McKenzie watershed.
• Metropolitan Wastewater Management CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition.
• University of OregonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition. Will collaborate on applied farming research at the Rice Farm to reduce pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals and improve hazelnut orchard soil health.
• US Forest ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency program partner in the Pure Water Partners coalition supporting riparian and watershed stewardship.
• Working Lands ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWSWCD is a proud Working Lands partner. The free and voluntary program helps farmers and ranchers transition to more regenerative agricultural practices by creating personalized conservation plans. The Working Lands Annual Report (2024-2025) is published via UWSWCD's site.
• Oregon Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers SWCD elections (including 2026 board elections with August 25, 2026 new candidate deadline). UWSWCD's Water Quality Conservation Specialist assists ODA with implementing local agriculture water quality plans. Coordinates with Clackamas, Marion, East/West Multnomah, Lane, and Washington county SWCDs.
• The Freshwater TrustmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates a shade credit program that would fund removal of invasive plants and replacement with native species along the McKenzie River and Cedar Creek as part of the Rice Farm acquisition stewardship.
• Oregon State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for applied farming research opportunities at the Rice Farm to reduce pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals and improve soil health of the hazelnut orchard.
• Lane County Chapter, Oregon Small Woodlands Association (LCOSWA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts the Annual Seedling & Native Plant Sale at Alton Baker Park, Eugene. Brings together Oregon Department of Forestry (Dan Menk) and OSU Extension Forester (Lauren Grand) for community education. Supports forestry and woodland education in Lane County.
• Oregon Department of ForestrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Stewardship Forester (Dan Menk) for native plant sale events to answer community forestry questions. Manages Holiday Farm Fire recovery in collaboration with UWSWCD.
• Friends of Buford Park & Mt. PisgahmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner2024 grantee receiving $30,000 from UWSWCD to support and sustain the native plant nursery. Since 1989 the Friends have stewarded 4,800+ acres of wetlands, prairies, oak savannas, and forests in the Greater Mount Pisgah area.
• Eugene Bird City CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presented the January 23, 2026 Douglas Tallamy talk at the Wildish Community Theater in Springfield. Coalition of local partner organizations working to achieve Bird City certification for Eugene.
• Lane County Land Management DivisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Wildfire Mitigation Grant funding from the Oregon State Fire Marshal for elderly, low-income, alter-abled, and veteran status residents in rural, unincorporated Lane County. Provides defensible space vegetation clearing within 50 feet of homes.
• Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with 13 other state agencies and Oregon's Kitchen Table (Portland State University) to update Oregon's Integrated Water Resources Strategy. UWSWCD promotes local listening sessions including May 24, 2023 event in Corvallis.
• Solidarity Garden Community Group (Anya Dobrowolski et al.)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured neighborhood sustainability case study. Community group that converted a neglected patch of ground near Lane County Fairgrounds into a thriving community garden, with a 2025 collaborative agreement with the City of Eugene to manage the land.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Marion Soil and Water Conservation District: Oregon SWCD with the same quasi-governmental status, delivering voluntary conservation planning, native plant sales, farmers market grants, and federal/state grant-funded restoration. Marion County SWCD coordinates with UWSWCD under the same 2024 board-eligibility statute.
• Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District: Oregon SWCD operating under the same 2024 law that benefits UWSWCD, delivering conservation planning, native plant sales, and grant-funded restoration programs to private landowners in the Tualatin basin.
• Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District: Oregon SWCD operating in another large county (Clackamas, 250,000+ residents) under the same 2024 Oregon board-eligibility law, delivering parallel conservation programs, technical assistance, and grant funding to landowners. Directly comparable governance structure and mandate to UWSWCD.
• East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District: Oregon urban-adjacent SWCD offering landowner technical assistance, native plant programs, watershed restoration, and grant funding under the same statutory framework. Comparable in scale, structure, and programmatic portfolio to UWSWCD.
• West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District: Oregon SWCD serving western Multnomah County with parallel landowner assistance, habitat restoration, and stewardship programs under the same Oregon Department of Agriculture oversight. Direct comparable in mandate and service delivery.

Others

• The Freshwater Trust: Regional nonprofit operating the shade credit program being deployed on the McKenzie River and Cedar Creek as part of UWSWCD's Rice Farm stewardship. Functionally a service provider and ecosystem partner enabling UWSWCD's riparian restoration work.

Emerging players

• McKenzie River Trust: Regional land trust actively conserving lands along the McKenzie River, including collaboration on the Rice Farm acquisition and Pure Water Partners coalition. Comparable in land stewardship mission and regional geographic focus.
• Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah: Long-standing conservation nonprofit stewarding 4,800+ acres around Mt. Pisgah and operating the 130+ species native plant nursery funded in part by UWSWCD. Comparable in restoration mission and direct grantee relationship to UWSWCD.
• McKenzie Watershed Council: Local watershed council operating directly in the McKenzie River basin — the same geography as UWSWCD's flagship Rice Farm and Bear Creek projects. A core strategic partner of UWSWCD and partial-overlap service provider for riparian restoration.
• Long Tom Watershed Council: Watershed council covering the Long Tom River basin, including Bear Creek where UWSWCD is executing the Delong Fish Passage Expansion. Partner on permitting and implementation; comparable mission in voluntary watershed stewardship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uwswcd
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwswcd
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwswcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwswcd

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District