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Wisconsin DNR - Prevent Manure Runoff |
An early snow melt washed manure into the Sugar River and 12 hours later it reached our farm. The river was brown. It smelled and I spent the morning counting dead fish.
Hear why Belleville farmer Steve Haak urges all farmers to develop a manure management plan.
Watch weather forecasts daily and if they predict rain and snowmelt that could result in manure run off, avoid spreading manure during these times. Waiting until it's less risky to spread will keep this valuable fertilizer on your land, protect your well water, and keep lakes and rivers clean.
If your farm is a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, that's required to have a wastewater discharge permit, you must follow restrictions on when and where you can spread manure.
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 have no alternative to spreading, stay away from fields whose location, slope, and other factors increase the chance that manure will run off them or be carried into surface water or groundwater.
Farmers are required to immediately report manure runoff or a spill to the DNR.
Start working with your local county conservation or Natural Resources Conservation Service agent to develop a nutrient management plan. You'll save money by better managing your manure to decrease your fertilizer costs and better protect your land and water and meet environmental laws.