Winter Spread Planning WI - eXtension · 1 Winter Spread Planning in Brown County, WI Brent Petersen, CCA, Staff Agronomist Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department

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Winter Spread Planningin Brown County, WI

Brent Petersen, CCA, Staff Agronomist Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department

Green Bay, WI

So why does Brown County require a winter spreading plan?

In the Spring of 2006, A number of residential homes in the Township of Morrison reported that their well water smelled like manure.

Brown County did an extensive water sampling effort from homes in the area, in the spring of 2006. History pushed the issue to the forefront.

Groundwater 2004 – 2006

Polluted water forces family to leave

home Posted Mar. 03, 2004

KEWAUNEE – Five members of a rural Luxemburg family were driven from their home

Tuesday by polluted well water they said was caused by manure runoff from a local

farm.

Kewanee County backs revisions to

Manure Ordinance May 27, 2004

Fecal material contaminates 6 town wells Posted Apr. 13, 2005

Lark residents point to area farm; DNR

investigating MORRISON ‐ Bob Bonness knew he had a problem when the well

from the tap in his home started running brown

Editorial: County must deal with manure‐spreading issue Posted May

10, 2005

Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center Webcast Series November 21, 2014

This presentation is archived at: http://www.extension.org/pages/21819/chronological-webcast-archive

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Editorial: County must deal with manure‐spreading issue Posted May 10, 2005 It doesn’t take a university degree to figure out that spreading manure on frozen fields can lead to groundwater pollution. But Wisconsin has yet to adopt a statewide rule that bans the practice. The result was evident in southern Brown County recently, when manure runoff was suspected of contaminating about a dozen wells, the primary source of drinking water for residents in rural areas. In one case, a resident on Lark Road blamed manure runoff for polluting his 168‐foot‐deep well, forcing him to spend $10,000 to drill one almost 100 feet deeper. Agricultural interests are quick to cite the significant economic impact of farming as a hammer to discourage restrictions. But Brown County already has more animals than land available to accommodate the waste, and the problem will keep growing as development continues to eat up land previously used for farming. A county subcommittee will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Agriculture and Extension Center, 1150 Bellevue St., in Green Bay to discuss manure disposal and its groundwater impacts. In doing so, the committee must recognize that spreading manure on frozen land is a primary source of water pollution and, therefore, unacceptable. It must also recognize that Brown County is fast becoming an urban county, and the manure‐pollution problem will only get worse.

February 14, 2006• DNR ISSUES “BOIL WATER” NOTICE FOR WAYSIDE AREA RESIDENTIAL WELLS.

Green Bay – In response to private well sampling being conducted in the Wayside area of the Town of Morrison in Brown County, the DNR has issued a “Boil Water” advisory for private wells in this area. Several area residents began sampling their wells after a manure smell was noted in their water. Sample results from the Brown County Health Department, the Department of Natural Resources, and a local licensed pump installer showed greater than 50% of the wells contained coliform bacteria, and are judged to be bacteriologically unsafe.

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Morrison Landscape



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Photos by Brown County Land & Water Conservation Department

Shallow bedrock features

Morrison Karst features ‐ field verified

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, , ppMeetings with town residents

Old wells , sink holes, unsafe land application

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Summary of Morrison Well contamination reports peaked in January – May 2006

and 2007.

510 wells tested Morrison Feb – May 2006.

Over 100 wells contaminated from bacteria or Nitrates.

34% > 10 ppm N.

23 Wells replaced in State zone of eligibility neat Wayside

$245,098 (state), $74,756 cost to landowners.

51 wells were properly abandoned in 2006.

• Over 200 Karst features identified by UW‐Green Bay.

• Northeast Wisconsin Karst Task Force assembled and completed its report and recommendations February 2007.

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/G3836.pdf

• Legislative changes have yet to be enacted to protect groundwater as recommended by Karst Task Force.

So what did we do? We created a winter spreading ordinance for Brown County

Copy of Ordinance: http://www.co.brown.wi.us/i/f/land__water_conservation/chap026.pdf

(7) Winter Spreading Plan Requirements. Each application for a permit under this section shall include a Winter Spreading Plan. The plan shall specify:

(a) The lowest risk fields for the application of winter spread manure based on slope, length of slope, soils, and depth to bedrock.

(b) Specify rates of application and applicable setbacks from the nearest surface waters and/or direct conduit to groundwater as determined by Brown County Land Conservation Department.

(c) The plan must include a description of the emergency response procedures that will be engaged immediately in the event of direct runoff related to the spreading of animal waste.



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(d) Only maps prepared by Brown County Land Conservation Department, using GIS technology, may be used to identify appropriate fields for animal waste applications.

(e) For the purpose of this practice winter spreading plans shall take effect no later than December 1st prior to the winter for which the plan is developed and continue through the following March 31st unless animal waste can be effectively incorporated.

(f) The landowner shall maintain an accurate record of the date, location, and rate of application for every application of manure on the land that is subject to the winter spreading permit. The record shall be made available to the Brown County Land Conservation Department upon request and shall be retained by the landowner for one year following the date of application.

We use producer 590 nutrient management plans to ID lower P fields so we can make an educated decision for winter applications.



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Brown County uses

GIS mapping to

identify lower risk

areas to apply waste

during the winter

months.

Dec 1 to March 31st.

Brown County Wrote over 78 winter spreading plans for the 2013‐14 winter. So far we have not had any significant events since the ordinance was enacted in June of 2007 because of winter spreading.

So far so good!

• Thank You!

• Questions?



Documents

Winter Spread Planning WI - eXtension · 1 Winter Spread Planning in Brown County, WI Brent Petersen, CCA, Staff Agronomist Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department