Maryland Department of Agriculture

Sources of water pollution from animal production systems can be from direct discharge, diffuse runoff, seepage or percolation of pollutants to surface or ground water.

One potentially large source of pollutants on most animal operations is manure. The management and handling of manure and animals are important parts of water quality improvement.

Animals can be confined in buildings, grass pastures, on earthen lots, on concrete lots or some combination of these areas. Manure can be handled in many different ways. The questions on the following evaluation form and your answers will give an indication of where you stand with respect to manure management effectiveness on your farm.

COMAR 15.20.07 requires agricultural operators to implement manure management that protects water quality and improves manure utilization. It further requires that manure management shall:

• Encompass all land where animals are kept and all land used for manure storage, treatment, or utilization that is under the control of the agricultural operator,
• Contain or manage manure to minimize the potential for nutrient loss or runoff before export to other agricultural operations or receiving facilities when agricultural operators have insufficient land to utilize manure and waste nutrients associated with animal production, and,
• Minimize the potential for nutrient loss or runoff prior, during, and after application when an agricultural operator imports animal manure or waste nutrients associated with animal production for nutrient application on the operator's land.

Additionally COMAR 15.20.08.04I requires a consultant to:

1. Take into account the current manure management measures being used to store, stockpile, and handle animal manure and waste nutrients associated with animal production in order to make appropriate recommendations for application rates, timing, and methods and
2. Evaluate existing conditions and procedures and advise the operator when manure management changes, such as improved stockpiling or storage facilities, would minimize the potential for nutrient loss or runoff or improve nutrient use efficiency and proper timing of manure utilization.

This evaluation form is a tool that can be used by an agricultural operator or consultant to identify any areas where potential problems may exist. By comparing the score for each situation with the answers on page III-D4, areas where improvements should be considered will be identified. Agricultural operators shall implement measures to address any conditions found to be impacting water quality. Additional technical assistance to manage manure in order to minimize the potential for nutrient loss or runoff can be obtained from the local soil conservation district.

Section 1

Manure and Waste Management Methods

Manure is handled many different ways, which may vary season to season. Under each question, more than one situation may be applicable to your farm.. Check all answers for each question that fit your farm..

A. Manure collected on concrete areas

1. _____is captured and stored or removed daily
2. _____is removed on a regular basis but not daily
3. _____is removed two or three times a year
4. _____is removed by rainfall runoff

B. Manure is stored in

1. _____a structure made for manure storage
2. _____a covered pile on concrete
3. _____an open pile on concrete
4. _____an open pile in a field
5. _____an open pile in a field near a stream or drainage ditch

C. Runoff from my concrete lot or manure storage area

1. _____is captured in a lagoon or settling basin and field spread
2. _____flows across a grassed area or into a treatment wetland
3. _____is captured in a grassed waterway or diversion, but runs out the other end
4. _____is uncontrolled

D. I spread/utilize manure from storage

1. _____in accordance with a nutrient management plan
2. _____whenever possible, to keep storage space available
3. _____whenever the storage space becomes full
4. _____just often enough to keep storage space from overflowing
5. _____only when I can, even if the storage space overflows

E. In the winter I spread manure on snow covered or frozen fields

1. _____never
2. _____seldom
3. _____that have moderate slopes with good ground cover or mulch
4. _____that have no ground cover or mulch
5. _____that have steep slopes or are next to streams

F. I spread manure from storage

1. _____by injecting/incorporating into the soil
2. _____as a topdressing on cover crops, small grains, hay, sod or grassland
3. _____on top of tilled cropland
4. _____on top of fallow ground

G. I spread manure

1. _____at managed rates on fields I know can use the nutrients
2. _____on fields I know need the nutrients, but I don't know how much I do spread or how much I should spread
3. _____anywhere I can just to get rid of it
4. _____on the same field almost all of the time

(If no dairy, skip this question)
H. I have dairy and milking waste piped to

1. _____a specially designed storage area or lagoon for later field spreading
2. _____a grassed area for seepage into the soil or other approved treatment system
3. _____an outlet in the cattle lots
4. _____a nearby ditch or stream

Evaluation: To score Manure Management Methods section add the numbers in front of each answer checked. Your total for this section is: _____

Section 2

Animal Areas

Animals can be kept in barns or poultry houses, grass pastures, earthen lots or concrete lots. If animals are confined in a barn or poultry house at all times do not complete this section. In some instances animal areas can be a combination of two or all three areas. Answer each question for each area on your farm. For example, if animals are primarily on concrete but sometimes go to pasture, you should answer each question separately for both the concrete lot and the pasture. If your animals are primarily on concrete, but have an earthen exercise area, you should answer each question separately for both the concrete lot and the earthen lot. If some animals are on the concrete all of the time and others are always on pasture or a earthen lot, answer each question separately for each group of animals. If you have more than one type of animal and manage them differently, you should complete this set of questions for each type.

III-D3

Under each Animal Area column (concrete lot, earthen lot or grass pasture) write the number of the answer that best fits each question. The same answer can be used for more than one area.

Situation	Animal Area
	Concrete Lot	Earthen Lot	Grass Pasture
A. My animal area holds less than 30 head per acre 31 to 90 head per acre 91 to 200 head per acre more than 200 head per acre	_____	_____	_____
B. The general slope of my animal area is slight (0-2%) moderate (2-5%) steep (5-15%) very steep (15-25%)	_____	_____	_____
C. My pasture has 85% grass cover all of the time most of the time on all areas some of the time on most areas at no time on most areas	_____	_____	_____
D. My animal area has a stream more than 200 feet away 50 to 200 feet away closer than 50 feet at the edge or within the area	_____	_____	_____
E. The land between the nearest stream and my animal area is in permanent sod or woodland in cropland a driveway or road an unfenced swamp, "natural" wetland or streambank	_____	_____	_____
F. My animals get most of their drinking water from an improved water tank with controlled drainage a water tank with no drainage control limited, managed access to a pond or stream unmanaged access to a pond unmanaged access to a spring seep or stream	_____	_____	_____
G. Rainfall runoff from fields uphill of animal area does not naturally drain into or through animal areas is totally diverted around the animal area with conservation structures sometimes flows across my animal area when the rainfall is heavy is partially diverted around the animal area crosses my area most of the time	_____	_____	_____
H. Around the buildings on my farmstead all sources of runoff are diverted from entering the animal holding area roof runoff is collected in eaves gutters, but drains out to some portion of the animal holding area roadway runoff flows through some portion of the animal holding area both roadway and roof runoff flow through the animal holding area	_____	_____	_____
I. Runoff from my animal area is controlled by conservation structures within the animal area is collected by conservation structures downslope of my animal area is uncontrolled, but flows from my animal area to cropland, grassland or forest is uncontrolled and flows directly to a ditch or stream	_____	_____	_____
J. I handle animal mortality by sending to a rendering facility composting burying away from sensitive areas burying in marginal land such as woods or wetlands leaving the carcass out for scavenger animals	_____	_____	_____
Total score for EACH column:	_____	_____	_____

Do not combine column scores. If separate groups of animals were tested, do not combine the group scores.

Evaluation Results

Overall manure management can be evaluated for your farm operation by writing your scores for Manure Management and for the Animal Areas and/or Animal Groups in the spaces provided below. Compare each score with the table.

Scores

Manure Management _____

Animal Areas Concrete Lot_____ Earthen Lot_____ Pasture_____

Scoring, as indicated below, applies to each section--Manure Management and Animal Area individually. If more than one type of Animal Area is part of the agricultural operation, each is evaluated and scored individually.

• 9-12- You are in good shape in that area.*
• 13-22- Some things need to be changed or improved. Address high scoring items to assure they meet manure management requirements.*
• 23-30- You need to seek technical assistance from a qualified professional to complete a comprehensive evaluation of your manure management.
• More than 30--It is likely that your system is causing a pollution problem and best management practices (BMPs) need to be installed immediately.

*Any item within a section where you received a score of 4 or greater needs attention.