Prevent Manure Runoff

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Farmers' conservation efforts are good news for trout anglers and critical for great fishing in the future

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DNR SPILLS HOTLINE
1-800-943-0003

Report and Get Help Immediately if Runoff or a Spill Occurs

Farmers are required to immediately report manure runoff or a spill to the DNR. We can help bring together resources to help contain the problem.

For more information about spill response click here

Most farmers carefully manage manure to maximize its value as a fertilizer. Manure improperly spread on farm fields can be carried into lakes, rivers and groundwater by rain or melting snow. So keep your bottom line healthy, and keep Wisconsin lakes, rivers and drinking water clean by taking steps to prevent manure spills and runoff.

Watch Weather Forecasts

Watch weather forecasts daily. Avoid spreading manure if rain or melting snow is predicted.

If your farm is a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, that holds a wastewater discharge permit, you must follow restrictions on when and where you can spread manure. These permits prohibit surface applications of liquid and solid manure on frozen or snow-covered ground during February and March.

What to Do If You Must Empty Your Manure Pit

If you can't hold off spreading until weather conditions are less risky, there are options for handling your manure while decreasing the chance of runoff.

Contact Your County Land Conservation Agent for Alternatives

Call your county Land Conservation Department, certified agronomist or manure hauler to help identify alternatives to spreading, such as stacking the manure away from fields near lakes or rivers.

If You Must Spread, Identify High Risk Fields and Avoid Them

If you have no alternative to spreading, stay away from fields whose location, slope, and other factors increase the chance that manure will run off them.

• Avoid spreading on fields that are near drinking water wells or that have sinkholes or exposed bedrock.
• View online maps that show which of your fields are more risky to spread on and avoid them:
  Nutrient Application Restriction Maps[exit DNR]
• Ask your county Land and Water Conservation Department to help you identify high risk fields on your property and do not spread on them

Know Who to Call, Steps to Take if an Accident Occurs

Take the time to think about, and write down, who you'll call and the steps you'll take if runoff or a spill occurs so you can contain the manure and minimize the damage. These example guides can help you develop your plan -- and then make sure you've got the needed supplies at hand so you're prepared should an emergency occur.

Get Your Nutrient Management Plan in Place for Next Year

Start working with your local county conservation or Natural Resources Conservation Service agent to develop a nutrient management plan that helps guide where and when you'll spread manure to decrease fertilizer costs, maximize productivity, and reduce the risk of runoff into streams or drinking water.

More Resources

• Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection [Exit DNR].


• UW-Extension Agriculture Programs [Exit DNR].


• Discovery Farms [Exit DNR].


• Wisconsin NRCS [Exit DNR].


• Professional Nutrient Applicators Association of Winconsin [Exit DNR].

Contact Information

For more information about this page, please contact: Tom Bauman 608-266-9993