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Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #8 Page 1Assessing the Risk of Ground WaterContamination fromLivestock Yards ManagementJanuary 2000 Utah Farm •A•Syst - Worksheet #8Why should I be concerned?Livestock yards, such as barnyards, holding areas and feedlots, are areas of concentrated livestockmanure. They can be a source of nutrient and bacterial contamination of surface and/or ground water.This is especially true if there is no system to divert clean water flow from the livestock yard or tocollect polluted runoff from the yard for diversion to an area where its effect on ground water or surfacewater is minimal. The potential for livestock yards to affect ground water is greatest if the yard islocated over coarse-textured permeable soils, if the water table is at or near the surface, if bedrock iswithin a few feet of the surface or when polluted runoff reaches surface water sources.Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) levels in drinking water above federal and state drinking water standards of 10milligrams per liter (mg/l) can pose health problems, including the condition known asmethemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome). This is of concern especially for infants using formula. Highlevels of nitrite (NO2-N) or ammonia (NH3-N) can also indicate health concerns.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.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 solutionwith surface water runoff or on eroding soil particles. Bacteria in livestock manure can contaminate surface or ground water, leading to infectious diseasessuch as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. Some organic materials may cause an undesirable taste andodor in drinking water but are not known to be dangerous to health. However, their presence maysuggest surface or ground water contamination.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 #8 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 yards management 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 yards management 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.How do I complete the worksheet?Follow the directions at the top of the chart on the next page. It should take you about 15-30 minutes tocomplete the worksheet and determine your ranking.GlossaryLivestock Yards ManagementThese terms may help you make more accurate assessments when completing Worksheet #8. They mayalso help clarify some of the terms used in Fact Sheet #8.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. Nutrients andsuspended 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, nor dothey eliminate the need for proper manure management practices.Infiltration: The downward entry to water through the soil surface.Milligram per liter (mg/l): Concentration in water of parts per millionPercolation: The downward movement of water through the soil.Runoff control system: A combination of management practices that can be used together to prevent waterpollution from livestock yard runoff. Practices may include diversion of runoff from the yard, roof runoff systems,yard shaping, settling basins and filter strips or buffer areas.Soil drainage class: The conditions of frequency and duration of periods of saturation or partial saturation thatexisted during the development of the soils, as opposed to human-altered drainage. Different classes aredescribed by such terms as “excessively drained,” “well drained,” and “poorly drained.”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 #8 Page 3Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #8Livestock Yards Management: 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 circled to find your “rank number: (4, 3, 2 or 1) and enter that number in the blank under“your rank.”4. Directions on overall scoring appear at the end of the worksheet.LOW RISK(rank 4)LOW-MOD RISK(rank 3)MOD-HIGH RISK(rank 2)HIGH RISK(rank 1)YOURRANKLOCATIONDistance fromsurface wateror well.More than 200feet.100-200 feet. 50-100 feet. Less than 50 feet._____Position inrelation tosurface wateror well.Downslope fromsurface water. Nolot runoff reachessurface water orwell.At grade withsurface water. Nolot runoff reachessurface water orwell.Upslope fromsurface water. Highpotential for lotrunoff to reachsurface water orwell. Slope 1-2%.Upslope fromsurface water. Lotrunoff reachessurface water.Slope >3%. _____DESIGN AND MANAGEMENTSurface waterdiversion.All surface runoffand roof water isdiverted.Surface runoff isdiverted. Roof watercollected ordiverted.No surface waterdiverted. Roof wateris not diverted.All surface androof water runsthrough the yards. _____Lot runoffcontrol system.No yard runoff,stock kept inside abarn or in a curbedarea under roof.Most runoffcollected fromcurbed lot anddirected into aholding facility.Any overflow isdirected to filterstrips.Lot runoff iscollected by earthenditches. No filterstrips used.Overflow occursafter heavyprecipitation.Lot runoff is notcollected and isnot controlled._____Yard cleaningor scrapingpractices.Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Rarely. Two tothree times peryear or less._____Milking centerwaste water.Waste waterdelivered directlyto liquid manurestorage ortreatment system..Waste water drainsoutside to grassedarea.Waste water drainsoutside to ditch orarea with novegetation.Wastewaterdrains directly toa ditch or watersource._____Utah Farm•A•Syst Worksheet #8 Page 4        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)Action Plan Based on Activities of Concern  from Livestock Yards Management1. 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 to more effectively protect surfaceand ground water.  Individual activityidentified as moderatelyhigh risk (2) or high risk(1)Response Options(check one)Taking Action (proposed first step to addressconcern)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 Yards Management

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Assessing the Risk of Surface and Ground Water Contamination From Livestock Yards Management

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