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Why should you be concerned? What can you do? UVI Cooperative Extension Service Livestock and poultry opera- tions on your property can generate large amounts of manure. This manure can serve as a valuable fertilizer resource – incorporating ani- mal manure into the soil pro- vides nutrients and improves texture. However, when not managed properly, manure can contaminate surface and ground water with bacteria, other micro-organisms and nutrients. When livestock manure is concentrated, as it is in barnyards, animal holding areas, or feedlots, the risk of polluting surface and ground waters often increases. VI Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. Use this worksheet to address questions you have answered Yes to or do not know the answer to in the Assessing Your Livestock and Poultry Operations section of your Home and Farm Water Quality Assessment. This worksheet will help you develop an Action Plan to establish practices that reduce the risks of contamination to your drinking water supply. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service ASSESSING YOUR LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY OPERATIONS YES NO G G 1. Do you have livestock and/or poultry on your property? (If NO, go on to next page K) G G 2. Do you house livestock and/or poultry within 100 feet of a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? G G 3. Do you store manure within 250 feet of a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? G G 4. Is your livestock and/or poultry facility located up-hill from a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? G G 5. Do you bury dead animals on your property? G G 6. Do you spread manure on your gardens and/or fields without adding it into your nutrient management plan? If you have answered Yes or do not know the answer to any of these questions, refer to this factsheet for valuable information that will help you develop an Action Plan to reduce the risk of contamination to your drinking water supply and surrounding surface waters. 1. Do you have livestock and/or poultry on your property? 2. Do you house livestock and/or poultry within 100 feet of a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? and poultry farms can pollute surface and ground waters with bacteria, other micro-organisms and nutrients. Proper use of manures in gardens or on fields can reduce fertilizer purchases, improve soil quality, and reduce pollution risks. If you do not have a manure management plan for your livestock or poultry operation, contact the VI Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), VI Conservation District, or Cooperative Extension Service. All livestock operations should be located at least 100 feet downhill from private water supplies (including abandoned wells) and 500 feet from public water supply systems. If you have a livestock operation on your property you should be testing your water annually for bacteria and nitrate. 3. Do you store manure within 250 feet of a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? Manure is generally stored in either liquid, semi-solid or solid form. Each of these can be stored safely, but require proper management to prevent water contamination. Contact the USDA-NRCS, VI Department of Agriculture, UVI Cooperative Extension Service, or VI Conservation District office for information on proper storage practices. Of particular concern for water quality are existing wells that can provide a direct path for contaminated surface water to reach the ground water. Long distances between manure storage sites and your water supply are the best preventive measure that can be taken. Avoid manure storage within 250 feet of your well or cistern. Storage facilities should be designed to prevent unplanned off-site movement of manure. Reducing the volume of stored manure with regular use of manure as a fertilizer can help to reduce pollution risks. 4. Is your livestock and/or poultry facility located up hill from a water supply system (well or cistern) or water body? 5. Do you bury dead animals on your property? Runoff from livestock areas can transport animal manure to surface or ground waters and cause water contamination. Runoff is affected by slope, rainfall and maintenance of the animal facility. Your animal facility should be located downhill from your water supply so that runoff will not drain toward the water supply. Surface water runoff should be diverted around the animal facility so that it does not become contaminated with manure. Dead animal disposal on your property is a potential water pollution risk. Decomposing animals can be a concentrated source of nutrients, bacteria and other potentially harmful micro-organisms. Develop a plan for proper disposal of dead animals. Small animals can be best disposed of by composting. A rendering service is generally better for larger animals. Virgin Islands law requires that dead animals either be disposed of on your property or in a sanitary landfill. It is illegal to dispose of dead animals in public dumpsters. 6. Do you spread manure on your lawns, gardens and/or fields without adding it into your nutrient management plan? FOR MORE INFORMATION This assessment does not cover all potential risks on your property that could impact the quality of your drinking water. It is designed to: create an awareness of potential risks to water quality on your property; provide voluntary solutions to reduce pollution risks; and develop an action plan to protect your drinking water supply. Individual areas and states may vary in requirements on minimum standards for water supply protection. Always check with your local offices listed in the reference section of each worksheet before making changes to your water supply system. There are other, more detailed, Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst programs available. If you have specific questions about protecting your drinking water, contact your local Extension Service Office, local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Office, or your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office. You may also contact the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Office at B142 Steenbock Library, 550 Babcock Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1293, Phone (608) 262-0024. This document was published by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, Kwame Garcia, Director of Extension Programs. This document was developed by Julie Wright, Natural Resources Specialist, University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*syst Program, and is patterned in a large part after the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program document “Protecting Your Water Through A Farm & Home Assessment” and the North Dakota Farm*A*Syst Program developed by North Dakota Extension Service. Contents of this publication constitute public property. No endorsement of products or firms is intended, nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned. Issued by the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability or gender preference. The Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program is funded nationally by: USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program supports voluntary pollution prevention to protect surface and ground water through a partnership with governmental agencies and the private sector. Manure should be treated as a resource rather than a waste product. Store manure in an approved storage system until it can be used to provide nutrients for your garden or crops. Credit nutrients from all manures in your nutrient management plan. Manure nutrient content can be estimated or tested. Contact the VI Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS, or UVI Cooperative Extension Service for further information. Apply all manure with properly calibrated equipment. Make sure you maintain records of your manure applications. ASSESSING YOUR LIVESTOCK & POULTRY OPERATIONS If You Answered “Yes” to the Following Questions What to Do Who to Call Other References What You Did Question 1,6 Develop a manure management plan that treats manure as a resource. UVI Cooperative Extension Service (CES), VI Dept. of Agriculture (DOA), USDA- NRCS, VI Conservation District, or crop consultant. Question 2 Test your water for nitrate and bacteria contamination. Move livestock area if possible. DPNR Division of Environmental Protection, Dept. of Health, or UVI Water Resources Research Institute. Question 3 Use an approved manure storage system. UVI-CES, DOA, USDA- NRCS, or VICD. Question 4 Develop a runoff control system or move the feed yard. UVI-CES, DOA, USDA- NRCS, or VICD. Question 5 Develop a dead animal disposal system. UVI-CES, DOA, USDA- NRCS, or VICD. PHONE NUMBERS: DOA: 778-0997 (St. Croix); 774-5182 (St. Thomas - St. John) DPNR-DEP: 773-1082 (St. Croix); 774-3321 (St. Thomas - St. John) Health Dept.: 773-1311 (St. Croix); 774-6880 (St. Thomas - St. John) USDA-NRCS: 692-9662, x. 106 UVI-CES: 692-4080 (St. Croix); 693-1080 (St. Thomas - St. John) UVI-WRRI: 693-1063 VICD: 692-9632 x. 101