columbia swcd

What columbia swcd does

Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District (Columbia SWCD) is a government special district and municipal corporation operating under Oregon Revised Statutes 568.210 to 568.890 and 568.900 to 568.933. It is one of 45 conservation districts in Oregon and serves the residents and landowners of Columbia County from its headquarters at 35285 Millard Road, St. Helens. The district delivers technical conservation assistance, grant administration, water quality monitoring, invasive species management, groundwater studies, and K-12 environmental education, with the stated mission of offering the community assistance to sustain local natural resources.

The district operates a suite of community-facing programs including a Small Grant Program, Water Quality Monitoring Program, Education/K-12 Program, Invasive Species Management, and a Volunteer Program, supported by educational publications (handbooks, brochures, DIY projects) and ongoing groundwater studies. Underlying technology is minimal: the public-facing website is powered by Streamline, a website platform for special districts, and there is no proprietary technology stack or AI capability. Core technical work consists of field-based environmental monitoring and data collection.

Columbia SWCD is funded through three streams: a permanent property tax levy of $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value (passed by voters in 2008), grants and donations from government agencies and partner organizations, and modest fee-for-service revenue. Most core services are provided at no direct charge to residents. The district coordinates with a network of partner agencies including NRCS, OSU Extension, Lower Columbia River Watershed Council, Scappoose Bay Watershed Council, Urban Watershed Council, and the Oregon Department of Forestry through formal partnerships such as the Columbia Invasive Weed Control Partnership and the Water Conservation and Protection Committee.

Name

columbia swcd

Legal name

Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District

Website

https://columbiaswcd.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District is a government special district serving Columbia County, Oregon, delivering soil and water conservation assistance, grant programs, water quality monitoring, invasive species management, and K-12 environmental education to county residents and landowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soil and Water Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Soil and water conservation
• Watershed protection services
• Environmental education programs
• Invasive species management
• Conservation grant administration

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Helens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax Levy Revenue: The district receives a permanent tax levy of $0.10 per $1000 of assessed value from property owners in Columbia County. This provides a stable, recurring funding base.
2. Grants and Donations: The district receives grant funding and donations from various government agencies and organizations to support conservation programs and projects.
3. Fee for Service: The district generates some revenue through fees for specific services provided to residents and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbia SWCD is a government conservation district that delivers publicly-funded natural resource management services to Columbia County, Oregon residents and landowners. Its core offerings include the Small Grant Program (financial assistance for community conservation projects), the Water Quality Monitoring Program, the K-12 Education Program, Invasive Species Management, Groundwater Studies, and a Volunteer Program, supported by handbooks, brochures, and DIY project resources. Most services are provided at no direct charge, funded by a permanent property tax levy, grants, and donations.

Product overview

Columbia SWCD offers a suite of conservation-focused programs and services for Columbia County residents. The core offerings include the Small Grant Program for funding conservation projects, Water Quality Monitoring Program, Education/K-12 Program for youth outreach, Invasive Species Management, and Volunteer Programs for community engagement. The district also conducts Groundwater Studies and provides educational resources including DIY Projects, Handbooks & Brochures, and Newsletters. These programs work together to fulfill the district's mission of 'Offering People of our Community Assistance to Sustain Local Natural Resources.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Columbia Invasive Weed Control Partnership (CIWCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency partnership coordinating invasive weed control efforts across Columbia County. Members include LCRWC, SBWC, UNWC, OSU extension, ODF, NRCS, Columbia County, City staff, Land Development Services, LCEP, CCSWA, and others.
• Water Conservation and Protection Committee (WCPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommittee guiding district water conservation and protection through groundwater studies. Members include Columbia SWCD staff, Columbia County Land Development Services, District 1 and District 18 watermasters, LCRWC, SBWC, UNWC, and OSU Extension.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreTechnology or IntegrationFederal agency partner involved in the Columbia Invasive Weed Control Partnership, providing technical expertise and resources for conservation programs.
• Oregon State University ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner participating in both CIWCP and WCPC committees, providing research and educational support for conservation initiatives.
• Lower Columbia River Watershed Council (LCRWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed council partner participating in invasive weed control and water conservation committees.
• Scappoose Bay Watershed Council (SBWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed council partner involved in invasive species control and water conservation efforts.
• Urban Watershed Council (UNWC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban watershed partner participating in water conservation and invasive weed control efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lower Columbia River Watershed Council: Direct partner of CSWCD on the WCPC and CIWCP; Oregon watershed council with overlapping mission around water quality, habitat restoration, and community conservation in the same geographic region.
• Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District: Adjacent Oregon SWCD serving Washington County; operates under identical Oregon statutory framework (ORS 568), delivers the same portfolio of conservation, water quality, and education programs, and shares CSWCD's tax-levy funding model.
• Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District: Portland-metro Oregon SWCD offering the closest parallel in statutory authority, program mix (Small Grants, native plant/nursery, education), and funding mechanism to CSWCD—directly comparable in mission and operating model.
• Clatsop Soil and Water Conservation District: Coastal Oregon SWCD; same statutory authority and tax-levy model as CSWCD, serving an adjacent rural county with similar conservation challenges around forestry, water quality, and invasive species.

Emerging players

• The Nature Conservancy – Oregon: Major nonprofit operating in Oregon on land conservation, water protection, and climate resilience; competes with CSWCD for state/federal conservation grants and pursues adjacent conservation outcomes in the same region.
• Trust for Public Land – Oregon: National nonprofit active in Oregon on land conservation, parks, and community conservation; competes for grant funding and engages landowners on conservation easements similar to CSWCD's landowner technical assistance work.

Broad incumbents

• Oregon State University Extension Service: University extension partner of CSWCD on both CIWCP and WCPC; delivers overlapping educational programming to landowners and K-12 audiences, with significantly broader geographic scope and resources.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal USDA agency that is both a partner to CSWCD in the Columbia Invasive Weed Control Partnership and the broader institutional analogue delivering conservation programs, technical assistance, and grants at national scale.
• National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD): National umbrella organization for the U.S. conservation district network (of which CSWCD is one of Oregon's 45 districts); represents the institutional category CSWCD belongs to and benchmarks policy/funding.
• Oregon Department of Agriculture: State agency administering soil, water, invasive species, and agricultural conservation programs at the state level; directly partners with CSWCD and represents a higher-level institutional peer in the conservation delivery chain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-soil-and-water-conservation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 columbia swcd