Concentrated feeding or feedlot means any livestock feeding,
handling or holding operation or feed yard where animals are
concentrated in an area (a) which is not normally used for
pasture or for growing crops and in which wastes may accumulate,
or (b) where the space per animal unit is less than 600 square
feet.
The term livestock means any animal raised for food or
pleasure and includes beef and dairy cattle, sheep, swine,
poultry and horses. It also includes fur animals raised for their
pelts.
This circular contains a brief discussion of each question on
the Farmstead Assessment checklist, and a section discussing what
you can do and who to call if you answer "Yes" to any
of the questions.
1. Do you have livestock/poultry within 100 feet of your
well?
All livestock operations should be located at least 100
feet from private wells (including abandoned wells) and 500
feet from public wells. If your livestock operation is within
100 feet of your well, your well water should be tested for
bacteria and nitrates by a qualified laboratory. It may be
necessary to change your feedlot arrangement or treat your
water supply if your well water has high levels of either of
these contaminants.
2. Do you store manure within 250 feet of your well?
Livestock manure is generally stored in either liquid,
semi-solid or solid forms. Each of these systems works well,
but do require conscientious management to prevent
groundwater contamination. Whenever a potential contaminant
is concentrated in a small area, the risks to groundwater
increase. Of particular concern are existing wells that
provide a direct path for contaminated surface water to reach
the groundwater. Distance between waste storage sites and
wells is the best preventive measure that can be taken. Avoid
manure storage within 250 feet of your well.
Waste storage sites that reduce off-site movement of waste
materials also reduce the risk to groundwater. Reducing the
volume of waste material stored by regular cleaning of the
storage facility is a good management technique. An effective
volume reduction method that has other benefits is to return
livestock waste to the land as fertilizer for crops or
pasture. Proper placement of wastes in a flat area can help
reduce the size and capacity of the waste control facility
needed.
3. Does runoff from your livestock feedyard run near your
well?
Runoff from outdoor livestock areas can transport animal
waste to locations that may cause water contamination. Runoff
is affected by slope, rainfall and maintenance of the
feedyard.
Your livestock operation should be located downslope from
your well, so that runoff will not drain toward the well.
Surface water should be diverted around the feedyard and any
waste storage facility. Snow melt can generally be controlled
by proper location of shelterbelts or a shallow ditch that
interrupts snow melt and diverts it past the feedyard area.
4. Do you dispose of dead animals on your farmstead near your
well?
Dead animal disposal on a farm can be a possible risk to
groundwater contamination. Dead animals can be carriers of
disease. If animals are thrown into an open pit or improperly
buried in a high water table area, they can contaminate your
water source. In regard to dead animal disposal, local health
laws may be in effect. In the absence of local ordinances,
there are three proper ways to dispose of dead animals
according to North Dakota law. They are burning, burial and
using a rendering service. If a rendering service is used, it
must be done within 36 hours of the animal's death. If the
animal died due to a disease such as Anthrax, it is
recommended to burn the animal and then bury it. In areas
where high water tables exist, burying animals is not
recommended. Burning and then burying is considered a better
practice in these areas.
5. Do you store silage within 50 feet of your well?
Silage is an integral part of many livestock operations.
However, silage can also be a water quality problem because
of high levels of nitrogen. Large amounts of leachate can be
produced from silage if careful management is not used.
The amount of leachate produced from silage depends on the
material stored, moisture content, and storage conditions.
For example, grass silage at 75 percent moisture will only
produce a trickle of leachate, while grass silage at 85
percent moisture will produce as much as 79 gallons of
leachate per ton.
Approximately three-quarters of leachate produced occurs
during the first three weeks of storage. Livestock producers
can reduce the amount of leachate produced by applying some
basic management practices. They include:
- Varying cutting and harvesting times
- Cutting or crimping the materials
- Adding moisture-absorbent materials to stored silage
To avoid groundwater contamination, silos should be
located as far away from the water source as possible. A safe
distance for a water well would be 100 feet from a silo and
250 feet from an earthen trench or pit. Surface water that
flows by a silage storage site should not flow toward your
well.
6. Is your silage stored on a permeable soil?
Coarse, permeable soils have greater potential to allow
silage leachate to percolate into the ground and eventually
the groundwater. If possible, silage storage sites should be
located on concrete, pavement or a soil with low
permeability. Soils on your farm can be determined by
referring to your county soil survey.
7. Is milkhouse waste-water discharged with 250 feet of your
well?
Treatment and disposal of milking center wastes must be
solved by proper engineering design to protect public health
and to prevent pollution of ground and surface waters.
Milking center wastewater is contaminated with organic
matter, nutrients, chemicals and microorganisms. Poorly
designed or mismanaged waste disposal systems can contaminate
water with ammonia, nitrate, phosphorus, detergents and
disease-causing organisms.
Do not dispose of milkhouse and parlor wastewater into
field tile, streams, lakes or groundwater. Septic tank, soil
absorption systems are also not recommended for
milking center wastewater. Milk solids do not settle in
septic tanks so they carry over into the soil absorption
system and plug the soil so absorption stops. Milking center
wastewater can be disposed of in one of the following:
- Liquid manure system
- Runoff holding pond
- Separate lagoon
- Grassed infiltration area
- Sand filtration
