NORTH DAKOTA DISCOVERY FARMS: A CASE STUDY ON GRASS ROOTS SUPPORT FOR ON-FARM RUNOFF MONITORING
Natural Resources/Aquaculture
Ron Wiederholt
District Director (Retired)
NDSU Extension
CARRINGTON
Abstract
North Dakota has focused much of its water quality improvement efforts on decreasing the negative risks associated with livestock manure runoff. Based on regulations and with the assistance of significant cost share dollars, producers have implemented best management practices (bmp’s) to improve livestock facility runoff management. Unfortunately, water quality regulations and bmp’s are rarely supported by hard scientific data. A grass-roots team of affected individuals designed and implemented an ongoing statewide intensive runoff water monitoring project to gather missing data and better understand the true impacts of farmstead runoff. A basic tenet of the project design is that producers are expected to be the innovators to address any issues identified through water quality monitoring. Three livestock operations volunteered to allow intensive monitoring of edge of beef feedlot runoff and tile drainage impacts at the sub-watershed scale. Successful implementation of this project was due to the up-front involvement of the producers and the complete buy-in and support by all cooperators. This project is a cooperative effort of the producers, North Dakota State University, North Dakota Dept. of Health, and United States Geological Survey. Project results are being used by other producers, water quality practitioners, regulators and policymakers.
Authors: Wiederholt, R.
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Wiederholt, R. Nutrient Mgmt Specialist, North Dakota State University Extension, North Dakota, 58421