State Agricultural Performance Standards and Prohibitions
State Agricultural Performance Standards and Prohibitions can be found in NR 151 and ATCP 50 and include the following requirements:
- Maintain a minimum 5 foot tillage setback from surface water bodies
- Prevent significant discharge of process wastewater (e.g. feed leachate, milk house waste) to waters of the state
- Meet tolerable soil loss (T) on cropped and pastured fields
- Follow a 590 Nutrient Management Plan on cropland and pastures
- Fields must have initial soil tests conducted by 2016 and follow crop management practices that are planned to comply with the 590 standard across the crop rotation
- Calculate and follow the Phosphorus Index >6 average where it applies on cropland, pasture, and winter grazing areas
- Limit livestock access along waters to maintain vegetative cover
- Maintain manure storage structures to prevent leaking and overflow
- Follow manure storage technical standards for construction and abandonment
- Prevent direct runoff from feedlots or stored manure to waters of the state
Near surface water or areas susceptible to groundwater contamination do not stack manure in an unconfined pile and divert clean water away from feedlots, manure storage and barnyards- Livestock operators must prevent a “significant” discharge from manure and feed storage, feedlots, and process wastewater. Consider low cost options for removing “significant” direct feedlot runoff such as:
1. Grazing cattle on nearby fields.
2. Collecting lot manure on a consistent basis and field applying in accordance with a nutrient management plan.
3. Removing channels with roof gutters, clean water diversions, or rock spreader diversions with harvested vegetative runoff filters.
- Livestock operators must prevent a “significant” discharge from manure and feed storage, feedlots, and process wastewater. Consider low cost options for removing “significant” direct feedlot runoff such as:
NEW 590 Standards incorporate groundwater protection!