The Effect of Improved Manure Management on Water Quality Nicole Hawk District Administrator/Education Specialist, Mercer SWCD Terry Mescher Agricultural Engineer, Ohio Department of Agriculture

Grand Lake St. Marys Located in West-Central Ohio Built in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s Reservoir to supply water to the Miami-Erie Canal

Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed - 58,000 acres Lake Area Originally - 17,000 acres Currently - 12,500 acres Lake Characteristics Shallow, 6’–8’ deep Internal loading Long detention time

Grand Lake – Watershed Row crop agricultural area with intensive livestock production Challenges Manure Management Nutrient Management Others

Water Quality Issues History of water quality issues prior to the 1960’s 2010 – Historic algal blooms across the entire lake ODNR “closes” the lake to recreational traffic State of Ohio drafts and implements ‘Distressed Watershed Rules’

Distressed Watershed Rules Rule package focused on livestock production facilities and manure application practices within the watershed Rules address 2 primary focus areas Manure Storage & Application Requirements Nutrient Management Planning

Distressed Watershed Rules Manure Application No manure application from Dec 15 through March 1 each year No surface application of manure on frozen or snow covered ground – Must incorporate No surface application if weather forecast indicates >50% chance of precipitation exceeding ½” or more All of the setbacks and recommendations in NRCS’s Nutrient Management Standard (590) are required

Distressed Watershed Rules Nutrient Management Planning Producers must develop a nutrient management plan (currently all producers have developed a CNMP) Plans must be approved by the Local SWCD & by the Director of Agriculture Plans are updated every 3 years Plan requires current soil tests and annual manure analysis Plan must show proper utilization of all phosphorus and nitrogen – from both manure and fertilizer

Water Quality Heidelberg University installed monitoring station on Chickasaw Creek in 2008 Water quality and quantity data is collected up to 3 times per day Monitoring data includes: Suspended Solids Nitrate Nitrogen; Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Particulate Phosphorus; Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Other

Understanding The Data Pre / Post – refers to implementation of Distressed Watershed Rules Flow – divides channel flow into 3 equal flow ranges Regulatory period Dec 15 through March 1 Non-Regulatory period March 1 through Dec 15 Nutrient levels given in average concentration for the given flow

Total Suspended Solids 23% Reduction 29% Reduction 36% Reduction

Nitrate 32% Reduction 16% Reduction 41% Reduction 19% Reduction

Particulate Phosphorus 46% Reduction 12% Reduction 55% Reduction 57% Reduction 13% Reduction

Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus 48% Reduction 18% Reduction 28% Reduction

Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus 44% Increase 48% Reduction

Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loading & Timing Moderate Increase Moderate Increase Drastic Increase

In Simpler Terms… Total Suspended Solids – Reduced approximately 25% Particulate Phosphorus – Reduced approximately 26% Soluble Reactive Phosphorus – Reduced approximately 3% Nitrate Nitrogen - Reduced approximately 31% Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen - Reduced approximately 26%

Role of the Conservation District Provide voluntary assistance to producers Serve as the primary source of information in the watershed on efforts to improve water quality Use all of the “tools in the box” to get conservation on the ground Work with producers to be “shelf ready” for when funding is available to assist with the installation of conservation practices on the farm

Lessons Learned Honesty, Consistency and Communication are key Balance voluntary conservation with regulatory role – If it’s difficult to discuss, it’s important to discuss Build relationship / trust with producers Partnerships are critical - Bring your strengths and connections to the table Agree to Disagree

Take Away Messages Maintain constant communication Schedule regular updates with political and agency officials as well as your critics Don’t assume that others know what you have accomplished – TELL YOUR STORY! Keep all stakeholders and the public up-to-date on successes and challenges Utilize traditional and social media Highlight conservation efforts to other watersheds

nicole.hawk@mercercountyohio.org terry.mescher@agri.ohio.gov Questions nicole.hawk@mercercountyohio.org terry.mescher@agri.ohio.gov