News Release
October  3, 2007

Park County sessions show how to test soil, water

Why soil and water tests are useful and how to take them will be shown at a session in Cody and another in Powell Tuesday, Oct. 16.

The sessions, presented by Sandy Frost, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service educator, are in Cody at 10 a.m. in the EOC room of the Park County Courthouse basement, and at 6:30 p.m. in Powell at the extension meeting room at the Park County Fairgrounds. Each session is free to the public and is about two hours long.

“Soil test values give a landowner a snapshot of nutrients available in the soil for their plants,” said Frost, who serves Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. “Research has shown that plants grow well with optimum amounts of nutrients available in the soil but may grow slowly or develop poorly with too low or too high amounts of nutrients.”

Landowners can save money on fertilizer and grow a maximum crop by ensuring there is the optimum level of nutrients available in the soil, she said.

Water tests can show if water from a well or stream meets Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards for coliform, total dissolved solids, sulfates, nitrate, hardness and sodium, said Frost.

“Anyone considering purchasing property will find the information contained in a soil test and water test useful in the purchase decision process,” noted Frost. “Anyone managing property over a period of years can track water quality and soil nutrition through time.”

For more information, contact Frost at (307) 754-8836 or sfrost1@uwyo.edu.

On the Web: http://ces.uwyo.edu/ParkPowell_main.asp

http://ces.uwyo.edu/ParkCody_main.asp

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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