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Agricultural Actions that Support Your Waters
What agricultural actions support your local waters?
- Reducing Nutrients from Fertilizer Runoff
- Reducing Pesticide Runoff
- Minimize Erosion and Loss of Vegetation from Livestock
- Minimize Animal Waste Contamination
- Agricultural Organizations and Local Involvement
Most farmers and livestock owners realize the importance of sustainable water quality, not only for their own uses, but for others in their community and for the next generation, who will inherit and work those lands. Though agriculture operations can pose threats to water quality - through contamination with animal waste and pesticides, as well as erosion and excessive runoff - such negative results are often avoidable.
State agriculture departments and many private organizations provide
guidance in how to carry out agricultural operations in ways that minimize
impact on water resources. Such actions, called best
management practices (BMPs)
are agriculture and production guidelines that consider both economic
growth and protection of water quality. Farmers and researchers have developed
BMPs based on work at state universities and national agencies.
BMPs For Reducing Nutrients From Fertilizer Runoff
Understanding nitrate and phosphate benefits, problems and testing
in rivers, streams, and lakes is a good start. Visit the USEPA's nonpoint
source control measures for explaining sources of these nutrients
and other chemicals from agriculture.
BMPs That Minimize Pesticide Levels
Recent studies indicate that improper handling and disposal of pesticide
waste are responsible for most contamination cases. Here are some ways
to reduce such inadvertent damage.
- Use integrated pest management where practical
- Reduce pesticide waste
- purchase only what you need
- improve application accuracy
- eliminate leftover spray mixture
- rinse containers immediately
- modify spraying equipment
- Visit USEPA's Nonpoint Source Program recommendations for Pesticide Management BMPs.
BMPs For Livestock That Minimize Erosion And Loss Of Vegetation
- Manage pasture to maintain vegetation, control soil erosion, and control surface water runoff
- Prevent access of livestock to streams
- See USEPA's BMPs for grazing
BMPs That Minimize Animal Waste Contamination
- Limit livestock access to streams.
- Collect, store, and transfer manure to minimize runoff into water systems. For instance, protect manure storage from rainfall and surface runoff. Locate manure storage away from water sources and natural drainage ways.
- Locate livestock waste management facilities away from a floodplain unless adequately protected from an inundation or damage from a 25-year, 24-hour duration storm.
- Do not apply manure to lands subject to flooding, except during times of the year when flood risk as nearly zero.
- Check out the USDA Web site on Animal
Manure and Waste Management
Agricultural Organizations And Local Involvement
- Contact your local extension service office!