Agriculture and Water Quality

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Agriculture and Water Quality

• Presentation by the
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• Tom Bauman, Coordinator
• Agricultural Runoff Program

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Water Quality Impacts in Wisconsin

• Point sources (pipe discharges)
• Industries (paper mills, mining)
• Municipal Treatment Plants
• Nonpoint sources (diffuse discharges)
• Cropped fields
• City streets

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The Problem Nonpoint Pollution

• Biggest remaining pollution threat to Wisconsin
  waters
• Threatens our health, safety, economic
  well-being
• High cost to solve problems (rather than prevent
  them)

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Agriculture-Related Water Pollutants

• Acute (short-term) Impacts
• Nitrate drinking water contaminant
• Pathogens human health concern
• Ammonia toxic to fish
• Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) depletes oxygen
  in surface waters
• Pesticides/herbicides

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Agriculture-Related Water Pollutants

• Chronic (long-term) Impacts
• Phosphorus excessive algal/weed growth in
  surface waters
• Aesthetic impacts (blooms, odor)
• Decreased dissolved oxygen in water column
• Toxic compounds
• Poor fish and aquatic life health due to extended
  exposure to pollutants

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DNR Programs Addressing Agricultural Water
Quality Impacts

• Programs to promote information and education
• Cost-share provisions/requirements
• Historically, have been largely voluntary (e.g.,
  Priority Watershed Program), with key exceptions,
  until...

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Nonpoint Performance Standards(DNR rules in
effect October 1, 2002)

• NR 151 - Performance Standards
• NR 152 - Model Ordinances
• NR 153 - TRM Grants
• NR 154 - BMPs Cost-Share Conditions
• NR 155 - Urban Grants
• NR 120 - Priority Watersheds
• NR 216 - Storm Water Permits
• NR 243 - Animal Feeding Operations

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NR 151Agricultural Performance Standards

• Regulatory
• However, cost-sharing is required for most
  existing operations
• Control delivery of soil, manure and ag-related
  nutrients to waters of the state (acute and
  chronic impacts)

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Sheet, Rill, Wind Erosion

• Soil loss equal to or less than tolerable (T)
  rate
• Applies to all cropland

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Manure Storage Facilities

• New or substantially altered
• Minimize risk of structural failure
• Minimize leakage to groundwater
• Contain a 25-year, 24-hour storm
• Existing
• Close if not used for 24 months
• Abandon or upgrade if failing or leaking

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Clean Water Diversions

• All livestock operations in
• Water Quality Management Areas (WQMAs) shall
  divert runoff away from feedlot, manure storage
  areas barnyards.

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Within 1,000 feet of the ordinary high water mark
of a navigable lake or reservoir Within 300 feet
of the ordinary high water mark of a navigable
stream
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Nutrient Management

• Create plans to control delivery of nutrients (N
  and P) applied on agricultural fields to waters
  of the state
• Delayed implementation (begins 2005 in high
  priority areas, 2008 in all other areas)

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Manure Management Prohibitions

• No overflow of manure structures
• No unconfined manure stacks in WQMAs
• No direct runoff from feedlots
• No unlimited livestock access

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Key Exceptions

• Point sources?..YES!
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
• Certain urbanized areas
• Construction sites 1 acre or more
• gt Require coverage under a Wisconsin Pollutant
  Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit

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Concentrated Animal Feeding OperationsNR 243

• Operations that feed or confine animals (not
  pasture) with
• 1,000 Animal Units (AUs)
• 301 to 999 AUs and
• discharge to navigable waters via a man-made
  conveyance, or
• discharge to a navigable water that flows through
  the feedlot
• Other operations may be designated a CAFO on a
  case-by-case basis

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What is an Animal Unit (AU)
700
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CAFO WPDES Permit Program

• Water quality permits
• DNR delegated to issue permits from EPA
• WPDES permit coverage eliminates/restricts
  ability to obtain state cost-share dollars
• gt The DNR reserves the right to go beyond or
  modify existing standards (e.g., nutrient
  management, manure storage) to protect water
  quality and ensure compliance with WPDES permit
  conditions

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CAFO WPDES Permit Program

• Permit Requirements
• Manure (nutrient) management plans
• Runoff control
• Proper design of manure handling structures
• Compliance with NR 151 performance standards

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CAFO Manure Management Plans

• NRCS Standard 590 ? CAFO Manure management
• Permit does not apply to application of
  commercial fertilizer
• Phosphorus-based manure management required in
  targeted areas
• Impaired waters (303(d))
• High quality waters (outstanding and exceptional
  resource waters)

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CAFO Runoff Control No Discharge from Animal
Production Area to Navigable Waters
Contaminated runoff from 25-yr 24-hr storm
Process waste water (milking center waste, feed
storage leachate)
Manure
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Notice of Discharge (NOD) Program

• Applies to Animal Feeding Operations with fewer
  than 1000 AU
• Intended to eliminate the need for a WPDES permit
  by eliminating discharges within a specified
  period of time
• May include provisions for cost-sharing
• If discharge is not eliminated, operation may be
  issued a DNR permit (WPDES)

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The Future Is.Somewhat Cloudy

• Likely changes to DNR CAFO rules in response to
  recent EPA CAFO rule revisions (e.g., expanded
  phosphorus based manure management)
• Evaluating use of new NRCS Standard 590 and
  P-Index for CAFOs
• Budget issues at state and federal level impact
  on funding of performance standards
• TMDLs?

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For More Information
http//www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/nps/animal
.htm
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• Questions?