1. Manure Storage Systems and Structures Determining environmental impacts of manure storage and storage systems on the farmstead. Joesph Kelpinski, MAEAP Verifier, Michigan Department of Agriculture

2. 10-1) Livestock Manure Storage: Is your manure storage located near any wells? ► Manure storage poses threats to water quality from nitrates and pathogens. ► Leaking storage systems may directly contaminate the well or recharge water replenishing the well. ► For MAEAP verification, farm MUST have storage greater than 50’ from well, 800’ for a dairy farm or farms with one or more employees.

3. 10-2) Livestock Manure Storage: Is your manure storage located near any surface water? ► Manure storage facilities may pose a threat to surface water quality from nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) as well as pathogens. ► Storage needs to be 300’ or more from surface water OR be less than 300’ but built to NRCS or private engineering specifications to meet MAEAP verification requirements.

4. 10-3) Liquid manure storage structures -proper design, installation and maintenance. ► Manure nutrients and pathogens from the storage potentially leaking from storage pose a threat to water quality. Wastewater from such facilities could flow to surface water or leach to groundwater.

5. 10-3) Are your liquid manure storage structures properly designed, installed and maintained? ► Facility need to be constructed to NRCS-FOTG, Concrete Manure Storages Handbook (MWPS-36) or Circular Concrete Manure Tanks publication (MWPS- 1998). ► Floor greater than 2’ above groundwater level, properly maintained. Engineering plans maybe used to verify construction.

6. 10-4) Livestock Manure Storage: How do you prevent overflows from liquid manure storage (maintaining freeboard)? ► Proper freeboard maintained (1 foot from top of storage plus accommodate a 25- year/24- hour storm). ► ► No evidence of manure spill over top of structure. Freeboard known and measured.

7. Livestock Manure Storage: How do you prevent overflows from liquid manure storage (maintaining freeboard)?

8. 10-5) Livestock Manure Storage: How do you temporarily stack manure in the field on a soil base? ► Water quality may be negatively impacted from nutrients and pathogens leaching from manure piles or resulting from runoff coming into contact with manure piles.

9. 10-5) How do you temporarily stack manure in the field on a soil base? (continued) ► Stacking is an accepted practice on a temporary basis. ► Best management practices include: - stacking in different locations - heavier soil types, - timely application, etc.

10. 10-6) Livestock Manure Storage: Is manure stacked in livestock yard? ► Manure stacks in yards/lots are a concern due to the potential for rainfall to percolate through piles, creating runoff which can move nutrients and pathogens offsite.

11. 10-6) Livestock Manure Storage: Is manure stacked in livestock yard? (continued) ► Curbing, gutters, runoff controls, filter strips etc. will all reduce risk of offsite movement. ► Paved yards or earthen yards (with frequent traffic) with some combination of curbing, gutters, settling basins, filter strips or other runoff control that are properly maintained are needed

12. 10-7) Livestock Manure Storage: How do you temporarily track manure in relation to surface water? ► Manure nutrients and pathogens may leach out due to organic matter breakdown, rainfall or runoff from rainfall. This leachate, if it reaches surface water, can degrade water quality. ► Storage needs to be more than 300’ upslope with all runoff collected and stored with periodic land application. ► Manure can be within 50’ of surface water IF runoff is diverted to vegetated filter strips, storage or other means to prevent runoff from reaching surface water.

13. 10-8) Livestock Manure Storage: How long do you allow stacked manure to remain in location? ► Nutrients and pathogens in stacked manure may leach out due to repeated exposure to rainfall events and the resulting runoff. ► The longer manure remains in place, the probability for offsite movement of nutrients/pathogens increases. ► Manure stacks needs to be land applied at least every 365 days, preferably in less than 90 days.

14. 10-9) Livestock Manure Storage: How are your solid manure storage structures designed and constructed? ► Storing large quantities of manure solids in structures presents the opportunity for rainfall and runoff to create leachate, which can carry nutrients and pathogens to water bodies. ► Structures should have impermeable floors, leachate is captured and stored or discharged to designed filter strips, and must be 2’ or more above groundwater.

15. 10-9) Livestock Manure Storage: How are your solid manure storage structures designed and constructed? (continued)

16. 10-10) Livestock Manure Storage: How are your buildings with bedded manure packs designed and constructed? ► Utilizing bedded packs of manure is a method utilized to promote clean, healthy animals. ► Bedded packs have an element of risk due to the possibility of leaching or runoff of manure nutrients/pathogens to water resources. ► Medium to fine textured soils, limited bedding, minimal rainfall/runoff enters manure area,, floor more than 2’ above groundwater level are needed to protect water quality. ► Waterers inside building increase the potential for ground water contamination.

17. 10-11) Livestock Manure Storage: How is your manure composting site designed and constructed? ► Composting manure is a safe and effective method to reduce volume and stabilize the end product. ► If not properly managed composting does incur the risk of introducing pathogens and nutrients into the environment

18. 10-11) Livestock Manure Storage: How is your manure composting site designed and constructed? (continued) ► Not a practice commonly seen at this time. ► May, or may not occur on the “farmstead”. ► Does NOT include composting mortality. ► To protect ground water, the site should be on fine textured soils, packed clay, asphalt or concrete. ► The site surface should be well drained with runoff diversions or filter strips. ► Another acceptable alternative would be the use of an “in-vessel” composter.

19. 10-12) Livestock Manure Storage: Do you have runoff controls in place for manure storage areas? If so, how are they designed and constructed? ► Utilization of vegetative filters is an effective and accepted practice to filter nutrients and pathogens from runoff leaving production areas.

20. 10-12) Livestock Manure Storage: Do you have runoff controls in place for manure storage areas? If so, how are they designed and constructed? (continued) ► Examine all filter strips, diversions, and grassed waterways around farmstead. ► Are they “legitimate”, or weeds? ► Infiltration area or filter strip must be designed so the only water reaching it is from lot runoff and direct precipitation. ► Vegetation should be maintained and harvested at least once per year to prevent buildup of nutrients.

21. Questions? Thank You! Created by Joesph Kelpinski MAEAP Verifier Michigan Department of Agriculture