Farm Practices and Environmental Impacts

1
Farm Practices and Environmental Impacts
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Potential Environmental Impacts of Crop
Production

• Runoff and/or leaching
• Pesticide
• Fertilizers
• Air particulates, dust
• Erosion and sedimentation
• Engine exhaust
• Equipment noise

MGSP FieldASyst MAEAP Field Assessment ,
winter 2003
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Potential Farmstead Environmental Impacts

• Pesticide storage
• Fertilizer storage
• Fuel Storage
• Mixing and loading areas
• Septic systems
• Improperly maintained water wells

MGSP Farm-A-Syst MAEAP Farmstead Assessment,
fall 2002
4
Potential Livestock Environmental Impacts vary
with choice.

• Top Spreading
• Quick and time efficient
• Flexible about soil conditions
• Low labor and equipment cost
• Lose half of the nitrogen
• High odor

• Direct Injection
• Reduced odor
• Preserve nitrogen value
• High labor and equipment cost
• Very high application rates
• Requires tillage

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Potential Livestock Environmental Impacts vary
with choice.

• Side Dress
• nutrients at crop time of need
• Reduces storage capacity needed
• Slow, high labor Very high

• Irrigation Equipment Application
• time efficient - low labor
• flexible about soil conditions
• - High application rates
• High odor

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The Water Cycle
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Potential water quality impacts non-farm

• Urban, suburban, and rural
• Urban sprawl (increased development)
• Stormwater runoff
• Runoff from construction
• Septic systems
• Lawn fertilization and runoff
• Improperly maintained wells
• Household hazardous wastes
• Business and industry
• Hazardous wastes
• Thermal discharge
• Air particulates
• Wastewater discharge

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Michigan river miles not supporting designated
uses (by source category)
Based on 1997-99 monitoring watersheds.
Source MI/DEQ/SWQ 2000 Section 305(b) Report
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Potential on-farm sources of contamination

• Manure application
• Manure handling
• Manure storage
• Livestock yard runoff
• Livestock mortalities
• Milking center wastewater
• Silage leachate

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Types of impacts on surface water

• Acute impact
• spills, releases, deposition and/or runoff
  events
• Chronic impact
• long-term loadings due to erosion, runoff, etc.

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Acute impact on surface water

• Example high concentrations of organic matter
  may cause
• Rapid increase Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Causes fish kills
• Disrupts aquatic ecosystem balance

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Chronic impacts on surface water

• Example long-term phosphorus and nitrogen
  loading may
• increase rooted plant growth
• cause algal blooms
• reduce water clarity
• lead to fish stunting
• lead to increased BOD
• lead to fish stress and fish kills
• reduce biodiversity

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Impacts of sediment runoff into surface water

• Sediment runoff may
• carry attached pollutants
• increase turbidity
• reduce water clarity
• decrease light penetration
• clog fish gills
• impair other aquatic organisms
• degrade habitat
• reduce fish reproduction
• reduce biodiversity

Potential Sources Erosion from fields farmstead
and feedlot runoff cattle access sites
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Concerns about coliform bacteriain surface water

• Coliform bacteria may
• indicate presence of more harmful human and
  animal health pathogens
• compromise recreational activities
• partial or full body contact recreation
  advisories dependent on E. coli concentrations

Potential Sources Farmstead and feedlot runoff
manure dead animals milk center waste
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Concerns about coliform bacteriain groundwater
(drinking water)

• Coliform bacteria in groundwater may
• contaminate well water if wells are cracked,
  unsealed, or exposed to surface runoff
• indicate the presence of more harmful human and
  animal health pathogens
• cause health problems when consumed

Potential Sources Farmstead and feedlot runoff
manure septic systems dead animals milk center
waste
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Concerns about nitrates in groundwater (drinking
water)

• Nitrates in groundwater may
• cause health problems in infants and pregnant
  women when consumed
• cause health problems in adults after prolonged
  consumption
• be an indicator of other contaminants which may
  cause health problems

Potential Sources Farmstead and feedlot runoff
manure septic systems dead animals milk center
waste
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Concerns about phosphorus in groundwater

• Phosphorus
• tightly binds to soil particles
• excessive amounts can be released to groundwater
  or subsurface tiles
• can move from groundwater to surface water
• is not usually a health concern in drinking water

Potential Sources Farmstead and feedlot runoff
manure septic systems dead animals milk center
waste
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Phosphorus movement to groundwater
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Concerns about livestock mortalities

• Properly managed livestock mortalities can
  prevent
• Coliform bacteria and other pathogens entering
  surface water and/or groundwater
• Nutrients entering surface water or groundwater

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Special considerations for milking center
wastewater

• Why the concern?
• Milking center wastewater may include
• Organic matter
• Equipment cleansers
• Disinfectants
• Medications

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Special considerations for silage leachate

• Why the concern?
• Improper management can create leachate flow
• High in organic matter
• Low in pH

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Reducing the potential for water quality impacts
Summary

• Taking a whole-farm approach
• Wellhead protection
• Soil erosion control (BMPs)
• Nutrient management
• Proper disposal of livestock mortalities
• Silage leachate collection
• Milking center wastewater collection and
  treatment

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Potential impacts in receiving waters
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Michigan inland lakes not supporting designated
uses by Source Category (as acres)
Source MI/DEQ/SWQ 2000 Section 305(b) Report
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Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment
Rank Rivers Lakes Estuaries
1 Agriculture Agriculture Municipal Point
Sources 2 Municipal Urban Runoff Urban
Runoff Point Sources Storm Sewers Storm
Sewers 3 Urban Runoff Hydrologic/Habitat
Agriculture Storm Sewers Modification 4 Res
ource Municipal Industrial Extraction Point
Sources Point Sources
Source EPA National Water Quality Inventory
Report to Congress, 1993
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(No Transcript)
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The Water Cycle
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- Cola
Silage
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Components of milking center wastewater and
potential impacts
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Components of silage leachate
Note Low pH organic acids moving through soils
can free up naturally occurring metals for
release into surface and groundwater.
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What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
Private Well
1. 3. 2. 4. 5.

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What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. 2. 4.
5.
33
What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. 2. 4.
5.
34
What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
2
2
2
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. 2. Leaching to
groundwater 4. 5.

35
What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
2
3
2
2
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. Well casings 2. Leaching
to groundwater 4. 5.

36
What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
4
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
2
3
2
2
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. Well casings 2. Leaching
to groundwater 4. Ammonia deposition
5.
37
What are the Pathways by which Manure
Contaminates Water?
Precipitation
4
5
Unsaturated Zone Water Table Sand Gravel
Aquifer Bedrock
1
2
3
2
2
Private Well
1. Surface runoff 3. Well casings 2. Leaching
to groundwater 4. Ammonia deposition
5. Macropore flow