Rules to control polluted runoff from rural, urban and transportation sources to protect Wisconsin’s water resources went into effect October 1, 2002. The rules were passed to help protect lakes, streams, and groundwater in Wisconsin.
These rules, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (“DATCP”), and the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”), set agricultural and non-agricultural performance standards.
Agricultural performance standards
- Control cropland erosion to meet tolerable rates.
- Build, modify or abandon manure storage facilities to accepted standards.
- Divert clean runoff away from livestock and manure storage areas located near streams, rivers, lakes or areas susceptible groundwater contamination.
- Apply manure and other fertilizers according to an approved nutrient management plan.
Manure management prohibitions
- No overflow of manure storage facilities.
- No unconfined manure piles near waterbodies.
- No direct runoff from feedlots or stored manure into state waters.
- No trampled streambanks or shorelines from livestock.
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Individual counties have the primary responsibility for implementing the new agricultural runoff standards, which require all cropland and livestock operations in Wisconsin, regardless of size, to abide by the agricultural performance standards and manure management prohibitions.
Conservation practices to meet the agricultural performance standards and prohibitions must be designed and installed according to accepted technical standards. Technical standards are maintained on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) web site in the Electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG).
Once on the NRCS Technical Standards page, click on Section IV on the left side of the screen to open a menu where you can choose individual standards. |
