Source Water Protection Feedlots

Animal Feedlots

Animal feedlots are frequently found in wellhead protection (WHP) areas and may pose a risk to ground water in several ways. Runoff from feedlots may percolate into ground water or enter ground water via sinkholes or old or unsealed wells. In manure storage areas, leachate may move through stacked manure to ground water or move into ground water from below-ground storage areas. Manure applied to land also has the potential to affect ground water, especially if over-applied. Finally, abandoned feedlots may result in leaching of nitrogen from manure.

State and county permitting programs for feedlots are designed to eliminate or minimize the pollution potential from feedlots. The Regulatory section on page 5 discusses current requirements for feedlot permits..

This chapter discusses management methods which can be a part of WHP programs for animal feedlots and manure management programs. The following is a list and discussion of activities a public water supplier could choose to include in plans to manage feedlots in a wellhead protection area. These activities are not required of public water suppliers, but provide a menu of choices -- the methods chosen will depend on the local situation. It is also important to note that feedlots are not always a problem in wellhead protection areas, nor are they the only problem to focus on. Many land uses can be sources of potential contamination in wellhead protection areas.

Education:

If a public water supplier chooses to develop management strategies for land use issues involving feedlots and manure handling practices in the wellhead protection area, education should be included as a component of the management plan, regardless of whether other methods are also used. Messages to highlight in an educational program for feedlot owners and operators include:

special concerns for feedlots and manure management in wellhead areas (making the connection between activities on the land and the ground water supply)
proper manure management (manure storage, manure testing, manure-spreader calibration, etc.)
proper feedlot design and operation
proper feedlot location
proper abandonment of feedlots and notification to MPCA

Listed below are a variety of educational activities that public water suppliers can undertake; these can be used as stand-alone educational activities or paired with voluntary practices or regulatory actions to target feedlot operations.

Educational activities recommended for animal feedlots and manure management include:

Personal contacts: One of the best ways to educate feedlot owners and operators in wellhead protection areas is through personal contacts. Public water supply staff or other local staff where available (county staff, Soil and Water Conservation District staff, trained volunteers) can contact each feedlot owner within a wellhead area to personally talk with them about their feedlot operations. As part of these contacts, which can be made by phone, letter or in-person, print materials should be distributed. Personal contacts can be an effective educational method. In considering this method, however, public water suppliers should consider numbers of feedlots in the WHP area and staff time available.

Workshops and seminars: Public water suppliers can encourage feedlot operators within the wellhead area to attend workshops and seminars on proper design and operation of feedlots. To do this, the public water supplier can co-sponsor, with other local units of government, workshops or seminars for feedlot operators in wellhead areas. Where existing educational programs are available, public water suppliers can provide schedules of existing workshops and seminars available through counties, Minnesota Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation Districts, and others to feedlot operators or provide cost-share assistance for workshop registrations.

Special events/field days: As an educational technique, public water suppliers can sponsor special events and invite all interested audiences to attend. One suggestion is to plan an initial open house, "Welcome to Wellhead Protection," after the delineation is complete. At this event, the significance of the WHP area can be explained, and information on the importance of managing all contaminant sources found in the inventory can be provided. Information on feedlots can be a part of this event.

Follow-up special events specific to feedlot owners and operators, such as demonstration projects, can also be planned. A well-operated feedlot in the area could host an open-house for other feedlot operators, allowing feedlot operators to learn from each other. Your county may already sponsor this type of event. Some counties offer Field Days or farm tours on feedlot operation and manure application. Where such events are already available, public water suppliers could encourage wellhead-area feedlot operators to attend the existing programs.

Information packets: A packet of printed information is another educational activity available to public water suppliers. A variety of print materials are available discussing feedlot design, operation and maintenance. Appendix A includes a list of educational materials related to feedlots and manure management. These materials can be distributed through a variety of methods, ranging from in-person or mail delivery to pickup at community-wide events. The delivery mechanism will depend on the local situation (numbers of feedlots within your wellhead area; ways in which your community receives information; etc.). Costs will vary, depending on the delivery mechanism chosen.

Video: Videos related to feedlot operations and manure management are available. Lists of locally available videos could be made available to feedlot operators. Public water suppliers could arrange to purchase or copy videos and distribute to feedlot operators. Check with county feedlot staff, county Extension agents, Soil and Water Conservation Districts or Natural Resources Conservation Service staff for information on available videos.

Newsletters: Articles in newsletters can be useful in educating a wide variety of audiences. Public water suppliers may consider developing a newsletter specifically for landowners in the WHP area, which could highlight a variety of issues including feedlots and manure management. Developing a newsletter specifically for the WHP area will help to stress the concept of the "special protection area" and will allow public water suppliers to reach landowners on a variety of topics. Providing articles to existing newsletters that are read by many landowners can be a cost-effective way to share information.

Services:

In addition to education, public water suppliers can provide services to help manage a particular contaminant source. Services go beyond education but do not involve regulation. For feedlots and manure management, services can include both technical assistance and financial assistance.

Design and operation assistance: For new feedlot operations, public water suppliers can assist in ensuring that the proposed feedlot is designed and operated properly. Design expertise is available through private consultants, SWCDs and NRCS staff. For public water suppliers, methods for encouraging proper design and operation in a wellhead area include:

Acting as an information and referral service and providing lists of feedlot design services available.
Arranging for design assistance from private consultants, SWCDs or NRCS staff for feedlots in the wellhead area.
Arranging for periodic technical assistance visits for feedlots using below-ground manure storage systems. The public water supplier could arrange for county, SWCD or NRCS staff to provide audits and to assist in correcting any identified deficiencies.

Manure management assistance: Public water suppliers can also encourage proper manure management within wellhead areas to prevent ground water contamination. Among methods for doing this are:

Encouraging operators to test manure for nutrients by making information on manure testing services available or by arranging for and providing manure testing services to feedlots in the wellhead protection area at low or no cost.
Encouraging calibration of manure spreaders to ensure the correct amount of manure is being applied in the wellhead protection area. Public water suppliers can provide instruction on calibrating manure spreaders and arrange to have any necessary equipment accessible. County feedlot officers may be able to assist with this effort.
Encouraging use of manure application planning (MAP) software. Public water suppliers can assist feedlot operators and landowners in gaining access to and using this software in wellhead protection areas to prevent ground water degradation from manure application. This software is available from county Extension, NRCS, and SWCD. Public water suppliers may also want to distribute this software to operators and landowners.
Mapping through GIS existing manure application sites and their scheduled rotation. This will assist the landowner in meeting the application plan design for a specific feedlot operation.

Grants and Loans: Another category of assistance is grants and loans. Public water suppliers may choose to make grants or loans available or assist in obtaining other financial assistance for feedlots operations in wellhead areas. Grants or loans made available can be used for a variety of prevention activities including:

designing feedlots,
manure testing,
constructing new manure storage facilities,
scholarships for attending workshops,
ground water monitoring systems, and
other operational upgrades

The public water supplier's role in providing grants and loans can take one of the following forms, depending on the local situation:

· act as an information/referral resource to existing sources of grants and loans
· actively seek funding for the community (for example, apply for funding for feedlot upgrades
area-wide)
· create a city-owned fund for cost-shares or loans
· cooperate on private/public initiatives for fund raising

Regulation:

Regulation is another type of activity a public water supplier may consider for feedlots and manure management in a wellhead protection area. Because MPCA and county feedlot permitting programs are designed to address ground water protection, public water suppliers are encouraged to work with MPCA and counties on regulatory activities. Public water suppliers may want to focus their management activities for feedlots on education and services, rather than regulation. Regulatory activities may be more difficult to implement by public water suppliers because of cross-jurisdictions between local governmental units and the state.

Feedlots of a certain size require permits in Minnesota. Feedlot size is measured in "animal units." An animal unit is a method developed to compare differences in the production of animal manure. Animal units range from one chicken (equivalent of .01 animal unit) to one dairy cow (equivalent of 1.4 animal units). The basic animal unit is a steer or horse weighing 1000 pounds.

Feedlots with greater than 50 animal units are required to apply for a permit from the MPCA or county, if the feedlot is new, expands its operation, changes ownership, or is identified by the MPCA or the delegated county feedlot officer as a pollution hazard. In addition, feedlots with fewer than 50 animal units also need a permit if the feedlot is creating a pollution hazard or if it is located in a shoreland area. Feedlot permits set operating conditions to ensure potential pollution hazards associated with the operation are addressed.

Counties may administer the feedlot program for their county and issue certain permits (feedlots with less than 1000 animal units and no pollution hazard and feedlots with less than 300 animal units with a pollution hazard that can be corrected within one construction season). Currently, 37 Minnesota counties have adopted the feedlot program.

Regulatory options include:

Work with MPCA or county feedlot programs: The MPCA/county feedlot permit program is designed to address ground water pollution issues. Because of this, working with the existing MPCA and county permitting programs is encouraged. Below are listed ideas for public water suppliers in dealing with feedlots, depending on the type of feedlot (proposed, existing permitted or unpermitted):

Newly-proposed feedlots in the wellhead protection area. Notify the MPCA or county feedlot officer of the proposed facility. The MPCA will consider, in consultation with the public water supplier, whether additional protective measures need to be implemented, such as more protective liners, limiting length of manure storage on bare Group I or II soils, or ground water monitoring. All MPCA permits require each facility to have a manure management plan.

Unpermitted feedlots in the wellhead protection area. Notify the MPCA or county feedlot officer that an unpermitted feedlot exists in the wellhead protection area. The MPCA or delegated county will work with the producer and public water supplier to determine necessary measures, if any, needed to bring the feedlot into compliance with existing laws, to protect ground water, and to qualify for issuance of an MPCA certificate of compliance.

Existing feedlots permitted prior to implementation of the state’s wellhead protection program: The public water supplier may consider working with the producer to determine if the facility poses potential pollution problems and to insure the facility’s manure management plan is up to date. In addition, public water suppliers can work with the producer, county and state to determine if additional protective measures need to be implemented at the facility because of its location in the wellhead protection area.

Although state and county permits are designed to prevent pollution hazards from feedlot activities, some public water suppliers may want to work with local governments to implement additional local requirements for feedlots and manure management located in wellhead protection areas. Below are listed additional regulatory options which can be implemented in wellhead protection areas, depending on the local situation:

Inspection programs: Public water suppliers can work with MPCA or county staff to explore the possibility of prioritizing inspections of feedlots in wellhead protection areas. This would help ensure that wellhead-area feedlots are in compliance with requirements in their permits. Technical assistance site visits (discussed under "Services") could also help operators identify problem areas before major compliance problems occur.

Ensuring proper abandonment: A local ordinance requiring feedlot operators to notify county staff when closing a feedlot would help ensure that feedlots are closed properly when operations cease. In cases where an ordinance or permit is in place, county staff can make sure that the site is abandoned in a manner that will not present future risks to water quality. Currently, the MPCA is revising its feedlot rules and is considering a requirement for proper abandonment as part of this process.

Prohibitive zoning: One option that may be available to public water suppliers is to prohibit siting new feedlots within wellhead protection areas. In some parts of the U.S, prohibitive zoning is used to establish wellhead protection areas as "green zones." If this option is desired, public water suppliers should work closely with the appropriate local unit of government with jurisdiction over zoning in the area.

Appendix A: Available Information on Feedlots and Manure Management

From the Minnesota Extension Service (contact County Extension Office or call 800/876-8636):

Manure Management:

Fertilizing Cropland with Dairy Manure (AG-FO-5880-C)
Fertilizing Cropland with Beef Manure (AG-FO-5882-C)
Fertilizing Cropland with Swine Manure (AG-FO-5879-C)
Fertilizing Cropland with Poultry Manure (AG-FO-5881-C)
Self Assessment Worksheets for Manure Management Plans (AG-FO-5883-C)
Manure Application Planner Computer Program - from the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota, St. Paul (Department of Applied Economics)
Livestock Manure Sampling and Testing (AG-FO-6423-B)

Nitrogen Management:

Manure is a Good Source of Nitrogen (AG-FO-5760-C)
A Soil Nitrogen Test Option for Nitrogen Recommendations with Corn (AG-FO-6514-B)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use Statewide in Minnesota (AG-FO-6125-C)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in Southeastern Minnesota (AG-FO-6126-B)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in South-Central Minnesota (AG-FO-6127-B)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in Southwestern & West-Central Minnesota (AG-FO-6128-C)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in East-Central & Central Minnesota (AG-FO-6129-B)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in Northwestern Minnesota (AG-FO-6130-B)
Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use on Irrigated, Coarse-Textured Soils (AG-FO-6131-B)

Fertilizer Recommendations for Specific Crops:

Fertilizing Corn in Minnesota (AG-FO-3790-C)
Fertilizing Soybeans in Minnesota (AG-FO-3813-B)
Fertilizing Alfalfa in Minnesota (AG-FO-3814-B)
Fertilizing Wheat in Minnesota (AG-FO-3772-B)
Fertilizing Barley in Minnesota (AG-FO-3773-B)
Fertilizer Management for Corn Planted in Ridge-Till or No-Till Systems (AG-FO-6074-B)
Nutrient Management for Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Crops in Minnesota (AG-FO-5886-F)

From the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (contact the Feedlot Unit at 612/296-7326):

Minnesota Rules--animal feedlots
Permit Application for Construction and Operation of an Animal Feedlot
Feedlot Permit Application Process
Completing a Feedlot Permit Application
Example Applications for Construction and Operation Permit for Feedlots
Concrete Pit Requirements
Waste Storage Pond Information
Explanations of "Waters of the State"
Items Required for Review of Manure Composting Facilities
Agreement Forms for Land-Application of Manure
Land Application of Waste Site Review Checklist
Role of the County in Feedlot Permit Program
Permitting Process
Dead Animal Disposal
Seepage from Earthen Manure Storage Systems
Closure and Abandonment of Manure Storage Structures
Delays in Feedlot Permit Issuance
Commonly Asked Questions about the General Permitting Program for Feedlots
Well Setbacks
MPCA’s Position on Feedlot Odors
Clay Lined Earthen Manure Basins
Milk-House Wastes

From the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (contact the Agriculture Planning and Development Division at 612/282-6830):

Feedlot and Manure Management Directory
Manure Management Planning Guide for Livestock Operators
Manure Management Alternatives: A Supplemental Manual
Planning and Zoning for Animal Agriculture in Minnesota: A Handbook for Local Government
Planning for Agricultural Land Preservation in Minnesota: A Handbook for Planning Under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 40A

From the Minnesota Pork Producers Association (contact the Association at 507/345-8814):

Guide to Environmental Quality in Pork Production
Manure Management: Practices for the Minnesota Pork Industry

Information from other sources (copies available from the MPCA):

Feedlot Inventory Guidebook