Manure runoff from detention ponds and/or saturated land—at Wisconsin’s largest livestock facilities, known as Large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations—can have disastrous effects on our groundwater and drinking water supplies, lakes, and rivers. Immediate consequences of manure spills include fish kills, polluted drinking water, and an influx of nutrients that can trigger smelly algae blooms. Spreading manure on saturated lake watershed soils leads to reoccurring and long-term negative impacts on our lakes by contributing to chronic phosphorus loading. Manure pollution can also undo public and private financial investments in stream and lake improvements.

Some recent consequences of manure runoff

In the first few months of 2006, nearly 70 wells in southern Brown County were contaminated with bacteria from manure.
Between 2004 and 2005, approximately 34 rural wells became contaminated in northeastern Wisconsin from liquid or solid manure.
Families whose wells have been contaminated had to pay for the cost of drilling a new, deeper well (as much as $10-15,000) with no guarantee that new well will not be contaminated by manure again.
Between July of 2004 and June of 2005, 52 manure spills reached surface water and groundwater, and many more since then.
In Manitowoc County, Lake Michigan beaches periodically close each summer due to unsafe fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria levels, linked to manure runoff.
Manure spills have severely impacted lake and river habitat. After taxpayers spent over $1M in stream restoration work in the Upper Sugar River Watershed, the rejuvenated trout fishery was decimated by a manure spill.
Many of the manure spills that caused fishkills or well-contaminations were allegedly from manure applications that appeared to comply with current standards.

Proposed changes to NR-243

The changes to NR 243 are triggered by recent changes in federal rules governing Wisconsin’s largest farms (Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations), and recognition that a small number of these farms are significantly contributing to water quality problems.

Most of the largest farms already take many of the steps called for in the proposed revision. The changes would bring operations that lag behind in their practices up to the same standards to reduce the likelihood of manure incidents that can contaminate private wells, pollute streams and lakes and kill fish.

Public Comments needed

The Natural Resources Board will meet May 23 and 24 in Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. Public comment on NR 243 will be taken on Wednesday, May 24. To sign up to speak before the board, people need to call the board’s executive staff assistant at (608) 267-7420, by 4 p.m. Friday, May 19.

Midwest Environmental Advocates has prepared fact sheets on CAFOs, the consequences poor manure management has on public health and taxpayers, and the proposed changes to NR 243.