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Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 1Assessing the Risk of Surface and Ground Water Contamination fromLivestock Manure Storage& UtilizationJanuary 2000 Utah Farm •A•Syst - Worksheet #7Why should I be concerned?Storing livestock manure allows farmers to spread manure when conditions are favorable for nutrientuse by crops. Accumulating manure in a concentrated area, however, can present a threat to waterquality and to human or animal health.Facilities for liquid manure storage on the farmstead sometimes leak or may burst, releasing largevolumes of pollutants. Manure in earthen pits can form a semi-impervious seal of organic matter whichdoes limit leaching, but seasonal filling and emptying can cause the seal to break down. Short-termsolid manure storage and abandoned storage areas can also be sources of surface and ground watercontamination by runoff or leaching of nutrients including nitrates and disease-causing organisms.Nitrate-nitrogen levels in drinking water above federal and state drinking water standards of 10milligrams per liter (mg/l) can pose health problems for infants under one year of age, including thecondition known as methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome). Nitrate may also affect adult health.Young livestock are also susceptible to health problems from high nitrate-nitrogen levels. Levels of 20-40 mg/l in the water supply may prove harmful, especially in combination with high levels (>1,000 ppm)of nitrate-nitrogen from feed sources.Bacteria in livestock manure can contaminate surface and ground water, causing such infectiousdiseases as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. Some organic materials may cause an undesirable tasteand odor to drinking water but are not known to be dangerous to health. However, their presence maysuggest surface or ground water contamination.High phosphorus levels contribute to algal blooms in streams, lakes and reservoirs. When these algaedie and decompose, oxygen is removed from the water often causing the death of aquatic life.Phosphorus can reach surface water or ground water supplies through movement in the soil solution,with surface water runoff, or on eroding soil particles.The Farmstead Assessment System is a cooperative project of Utah State University Extension, UtahDepartment of Agriculture and Food, Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Utah Farm Bureau,Utah Association of Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation ServiceFARM •A• SYSTFarmstead Assessment SystemUtah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 2How will this worksheet help me protect my surface and ground water?• It will take you step by step through an evaluation of your livestock manure storage practices.• It will rank your activities according to how they might affect surface or ground water.• It will provide you with easy-to-understand rankings that will help you estimate the risk posed by yourlivestock manure storage and disposal practices.• It will help you to identify your practices which are reasonable safe and effective, and practices whichmight require modification to better protect surface and ground water.GlossaryLivestock Manure Storage & UtilizationThese terms may help you make more accurate assessments when completing Worksheet #7. They may also helpclarify some of the terms used in Fact Sheet #7.Available soil water holding capacity: Amount of water a soil will hold, which is available for plant use.Earthen pit or lagoon: A manure storage facility which is constructed below gound level according to specificengineering standards. Not simply an excavation. New pits are usually lined with synthetic liners to preventleakage.Engineering standards:  Design and construction standards available at Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) offices. These standards may come from NRCS technical guides, state regulations or landgrant university engineering handbooks.Evapotranspiration: The amount of water used by vegetative growth for transpiration and evaporation fromthe soil and plant surfaces for a specified time period.Filter strip: A gently sloping grass area which can serve as a buffer around some types of short-term solidmanure storage systems. Filter strips are not meant to handle all of the contents of a short-term storage facility,rather, these grass strips are used to help filter only a limited amount of runoff. In these systems, overflowmanure is distributed uniformly across the high end of the strip and flows down the slope. Nutrientsandsuspended material remaining in the runoff water are filtered through the grass, absorbed to the soil, andultimately absorbed by plants. To be effective, filter strips must be designed and sized to match thecharacteristics of the storage system. They do not replace a properly designed long-term storage facility, nordo they eliminate the need for proper manure management practices.Glass-lined steel storage: A type of liquid-tight, above-ground animal manure storage structure. Located on aconcrete pad, it consists of steel panels bolted together and coated inside and outside with glass to providecorrosion protection.Milligram per liter (mg/l): Concentration in water of parts per millionPoured concrete storage: A type of liquid-tight animal manure storage structure. Located on a concrete pad,it consists of poured concrete reinforced with steel.Soil permeability: The characteristic of the soil which determines the rate at which water will percolate towardground water. Slowly permeable soils have fine-textured materials, like clays, that permit only slow watermovement. Moderately or highly permeable soils have coarse-textured materials, like sands, that permit rapidwater movement.Soil texture: The relative proportions of soil particles (clay, silt, sand) in a soil. Described by such terms as“sandy loam,” and “silty clay.”Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 3Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7Livestock Manure Storage: Assessing Surface andGround Water Contamination RiskInformation derived from Farm•A•Syst worksheets is intended only to provide general information and recommendations tofarmers regarding their own farmstead practices. Keep this as your private record. 1. Use a pencil. You may want to make changes.2. For each category listed on the left that is appropriate to your farmstead, read across to the right and circle the statement that bestdescribes conditions on your farmstead. (Skip and leave blank any categories that don’t apply to your farmstead.)3. Then look above the description you circles to find your “rank number: (4, 3, 2 or 1) and enter that number in the blank under “yourrank.”4. Directions on overall scoring appear at the end of the worksheet.5. Allow about 15-30 minutes to complete the worksheet and figure out your risk ranking for well management practices.LOW RISK(rank 4)LOW-MOD RISK(rank 3)MOD-HIGH RISK(rank 2)HIGH RISK(rank 1)YOURRANKLONG-TERM STORAGE (90 days or more)Steel, glass-lined (liquid-tight design,above ground)Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Properlymaintained.Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Maintenance nottimely.Contents of tank areleaking. Fine tomedium texturedsoils (clay loam, siltloam, sand).Contents of tankare leaking. Coarsetextured soils(sands, sandyloam)._____Concrete stave(liquid-tightdesign)Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Properlymaintained.Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Maintenance nottimely.Contents of tank areleaking. Fine tomedium texturedsoils (clay loam, siltloam, sand).Concrete iscracked. Contentsare leaking. Coarsetextured soils(sands, sandyloam)._____Pouredconcrete(liquid-tightdesign)Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Properlymaintained.Designed andinstalled accordingto acceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Maintenance nottimely.Contents of tank areleaking. Fine tomedium texturedsoils (clay loam, siltloam, sand).Concrete iscracked. Contentsare leaking. Coarsetextured soils(sands, sandyloam)._____LOW RISK(rank 4)LOW-MOD RISK(rank 3)MOD-HIGH RISK(rank 2)HIGH RISK(rank 1)YOURRANKUtah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 4Earthen wastestorage pit(below ground)Designed andinstalled with aliner according toacceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Properlymaintained.Designed andinstalled to meet allacceptedengineeringstandards andspecifications.Properly maintainedDesigned orinstalled withoutfollowing acceptedengineeringstandards. Earthenlining eroding.Design does notmeet engineeringstandards. Morethan 10 years old.Earthen liningperforated._____SHORT-TERM STORAGE (30-90 days)Stacked infield.Stacked on levelground with bermsaround storagearea.Stacked on levelground with noberms or cover.Stacked on highground duringnormally dryseasons with noberms or cover.Stacked on highground with noberms or cover inwet seasons. _____Stacked inyard.Covered concreteyard with curbs,gutters, berms,and/or settlingbasin.Concrete yards withcurbs, berms, andgutters. Grass filterstrips are installedand maintained.Earthen yard withfine to mediumtextured soils (clayloam, silt loam,sand).Earthen yardwith coarsetextured soils(sands, sandyloam)._____Water-tightstructure.Facility design andinstallation meetsall acceptedengineeringstandards. Allliquids are retainedStructure has beenallowed todeteriorate or is notmaintained.Contents areleaking. Fine tomedium texturedsoils (clay loam,loam, silt loam).Structure has beenallowed todeteriorate or is notmaintained.Contents areleaking. Coarsetextured soils(sands, sandyloam)._____Stacked inopen housing.Building hasconcrete floor,protected fromsurface waterrunoff. Adequatebedding provided.Building hasearthen floor,protected fromsurface waterrunoff. Fine tomedium texturedsoils (clay loam, siltloam, loam).Building hasearthen floor,protected fromsurface waterrunoff. Coarsetextured soils(sands, sandy loam.)Building hasearthen floor andis subject tosurface waterrunoff._____LOW RISK(rank 4)LOW-MOD RISK(rank 3)MOD-HIGH RISK(rank 2)HIGH RISK(rank 1)YOURRANKUtah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 5SITE CHARACTERISTICS (where waste is applied)Soilpermeability.Well-drainedmedium or fine-textured soils(loam, silt loam,clay loams, clays),with lowpermeability.(silt & clay).  Well-drained ormoderately well-drained medium orfine-textured soils(loam, silt loam,clay loams, clays)with moderatepermeability(loamy).  Moderately well-drained coarse-textured soils(sands, sandy loam).and/or highpermeability(sandy).Excessively well-drained coarse-textured soils(sands, sandyloam) to gravel,and/or somewhatpoorly drainedsoils  and/or veryhigh permeability(coarse sand). ______Soil depth. More than 40inches deep.30-40 inches deep. Shallow (20-30inches).Very shallow (lessthan 20 inches). _____Available soilwater holdingcapacity.Medium to high. Low to medium. Low or soilsaturated.Soil saturated withstanding waterpresent._____LIVESTOCK MANURE APPLICATION PRACTICESSoil testing ofmanureapplicationsites. Yearly Every 2 years. Every 3 years. Less frequent thanevery 3 years._____Applicationrate.Applied at rateequal to or lessthan plant needsbased on soil test.Application ratebased on P levels.Low rates orapplication rates notbased on soil testresults. Rate appliedbased on N levels.High rates orapplication ratesused, not based onsoil test results.Rate exceeds plantneed for P.Applied at rategreater than plantneeds. Annualapplication over250 poundsavailable nitrogen._____Location ofwasteapplicationareas.All applicationareas more than200 feet fromsurface watersources or well.75% of applicationareas more than 200feet from surfacewater sources orwell.50% of applicationareas are less than200 feet fromsurface watersources or well.All applicationareas are less than200 feet fromsurface watersources or well._____Applicationtiming and siteconditions.Incorporated intosoil or applied atsite with heavyvegetation. Neverapplied to frozenor saturated soil.Incorporated intosoil or applied atsite with heavyvegetation. Rarelyapplied on frozen orsaturated soil.Little or noincorporation intosoil. Sometimesapplied to wet orfrozen soil. Applied to tilledsoil with noincorporation andlittle vegetation.Applied to frozen,saturated or snow-covered soil. _____LOW RISK(rank 4)LOW-MOD RISK(rank 3)MOD-HIGH RISK(rank 2)HIGH RISK(rank 1)YOURRANKUtah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 6        Utah State University Extension is an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity employer and educationalorganization. We offer our programs to persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability.        Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S.Department of Agriculture, Robert L. Gilliland, Vice-President and Director, Cooperative Extension Service, Utah State University,Logan, Utah (EP/01-00/DF).LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICESDistribution ofmanure solidsto land.Uniformapplication;equipmentcalibratedannually.Non-uniformapplication; annualcalibration ofequipment.Non-uniformapplication;calibration ofequipment everyother year.Non-uniformapplication; nocalibration ofequipment. _____Manuredistribution oncropableacreage.All nutrientstransported offfarm.Adequate cropableacreage for nutrientsin stored manure.Some manurenutrientstransported offfarm.Inadequate cropableacreage for nutrientsin stored manure.No manuretransported offfarm. Nocommercialfertilizer applied.Inadequatecropable acreagefor manure nutrientuse. No manuretransported offfarm. Commercialfertilizer applied. _____Irrigation. Amount appliedbased onevapotranspirationrate. Use ofevapotranspirationinformation or useof soil moisturemonitoring forevaluating waterneeds.Frequentapplications that arenot more than 20%in excess of cropevapotranspiration;irrigation waterefficiency is morethan 60%.Infrequentapplications withmore than 20% inexcess of cropevapotranspirationgiving intermittentsaturated soils;irrigation waterefficiency is lessthan 60%.Creates saturatedsoils with runoffand/or deeppercolation._____Boldface type: Indicates an action or situation which may constitute a violation of state or federal law.Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #7 Page 7Action Plan Based on Activities of Concern from Livestock Manure Storage and Utilization1. List any individual activities or structures that you ranked as “2” (moderately high risk) or “1” (high risk). 2. For each activity you listed, fill in the “response options” and “taking action” sections. Response options: Check one of the two boxes: either “immediate action possible” or “further planning required.” Thisshould be a quick assessment of whether the response will requires a change in practice that can be achieved relatively easily at littlecost or whether it requires major effort and money. Taking action: Decide right now on a possible first step to begin to address each concern listed. It might be as simple asmaking a first phone call to get information. It is important to take an initial step to begin to address each of the moderately-high andhigh risk concerns you have listed.Keep this list handy and refer to it often. It provides important information for you as you plan how tomore effectivelyprotect surface and ground water.  Individual activity identifiedas moderately high risk (2) orhigh risk (1)Response Options(check one)Taking Action (proposed first step to address concern)Immediateaction (a) Furtherplanningrequired(b)(a) Change in practice only; cost is not a factor(b) Requires major structural improvement or relocation, major effort or high cost

Assessing the Risk of Surface and Ground Water Contamination From Livestock Manure Storage & Utilization

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Assessing the Risk of Surface and Ground Water Contamination From Livestock Manure Storage & Utilization

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