Manure Storage Systems and Structures

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Manure Storage Systems and Structures

• Determining environmental impacts of manure
  storage and storage systems on the farmstead.

Joesph Kelpinski, MAEAP Verifier, Michigan
Department of Agriculture
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10-1) Livestock Manure Storage Is your manure
storage located near any wells?

• Manure storage poses threats to water quality
  from nitrates and pathogens.
• Leaking storage systems may directly contaminate
  the well or recharge water replenishing the well.
• For MAEAP verification, farm MUST have storage
  greater than 50 from well, 800 for a dairy farm
  or farms with one or more employees.

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10-2) Livestock Manure Storage Is your manure
storage located near any surface water?

• Manure storage facilities may pose a threat to
  surface water quality from nutrients (nitrogen
  and phosphorous) as well as pathogens.
• Storage needs to be 300 or more from surface
  water OR be less than 300 but built to NRCS or
  private engineering specifications to meet MAEAP
  verification requirements.

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10-3) Liquid manure storage structures -proper
design, installation and maintenance.

• Manure nutrients and pathogens from the storage
  potentially leaking from storage pose a threat to
  water quality. Wastewater from such facilities
  could flow to surface water or leach to
  groundwater.

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10-3) Are your liquid manure storage structures
properly designed, installed and maintained?

• Facility need to be constructed to NRCS-FOTG,
  Concrete Manure Storages Handbook (MWPS-36) or
  Circular Concrete Manure Tanks publication
  (MWPS-1998).
• Floor greater than 2 above groundwater level,
  properly maintained. Engineering plans maybe used
  to verify construction.

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10-4) Livestock Manure Storage How do you
prevent overflows from liquid manure storage
(maintaining freeboard)?

• Proper freeboard maintained (1 foot from top of
  storage plus accommodate a 25-year/24- hour
  storm).
• No evidence of manure spill over top of
  structure. Freeboard known and measured.

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Livestock Manure Storage How do you prevent
overflows from liquid manure storage (maintaining
freeboard)?
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10-5) Livestock Manure Storage How do you
temporarily stack manure in the field on a soil
base?

• Water quality may be negatively impacted from
  nutrients and pathogens leaching from manure
  piles or resulting from runoff coming into
  contact with manure piles.

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10-5) How do you temporarily stack manure in the
field on a soil base? (continued)

• Stacking is an accepted practice on a temporary
  basis.
• Best management practices include
• - stacking in different locations
• - heavier soil types,
• - timely application, etc.

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10-6) Livestock Manure Storage Is manure
stacked in livestock yard?

• Manure stacks in yards/lots are a concern due to
  the potential for rainfall to percolate through
  piles, creating runoff which can move nutrients
  and pathogens offsite.

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10-6) Livestock Manure Storage Is manure
stacked in livestock yard? (continued)

• Curbing, gutters, runoff controls, filter strips
  etc. will all reduce risk of offsite movement.
• Paved yards or earthen yards (with frequent
  traffic) with some combination of curbing,
  gutters, settling basins, filter strips or other
  runoff control that are properly maintained are
  needed

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10-7) Livestock Manure Storage How do you
temporarily track manure in relation to surface
water?

• Manure nutrients and pathogens may leach out due
  to organic matter breakdown, rainfall or runoff
  from rainfall. This leachate, if it reaches
  surface water, can degrade water quality.
• Storage needs to be more than 300 upslope with
  all runoff collected and stored with periodic
  land application.
• Manure can be within 50 of surface water IF
  runoff is diverted to vegetated filter strips,
  storage or other means to prevent runoff from
  reaching surface water.

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10-8) Livestock Manure Storage How long do you
allow stacked manure to remain in location?

• Nutrients and pathogens in stacked manure may
  leach out due to repeated exposure to rainfall
  events and the resulting runoff.
• The longer manure remains in place, the
  probability for offsite movement of
  nutrients/pathogens increases.
• Manure stacks needs to be land applied at least
  every 365 days, preferably in less than 90 days.

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10-9) Livestock Manure Storage How are your
solid manure storage structures designed and
constructed?

• Storing large quantities of manure solids in
  structures presents the opportunity for rainfall
  and runoff to create leachate, which can carry
  nutrients and pathogens to water bodies.
• Structures should have impermeable floors,
  leachate is captured and stored or discharged to
  designed filter strips, and must be 2 or more
  above groundwater.

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10-9) Livestock Manure Storage How are your
solid manure storage structures designed and
constructed? (continued)
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10-10) Livestock Manure Storage How are your
buildings with bedded manure packs designed and
constructed?

• Utilizing bedded packs of manure is a method
  utilized to promote clean, healthy animals.
• Bedded packs have an element of risk due to the
  possibility of leaching or runoff of manure
  nutrients/pathogens to water resources.
• Medium to fine textured soils, limited bedding,
  minimal rainfall/runoff enters manure area,,
  floor more than 2 above groundwater level are
  needed to protect water quality.
• Waterers inside building increase the potential
  for ground water contamination.

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10-11) Livestock Manure Storage How is your
manure composting site designed and constructed?

• Composting manure is a safe and effective method
  to reduce volume and stabilize the end product.
• If not properly managed composting does incur the
  risk of introducing pathogens and nutrients into
  the environment

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10-11) Livestock Manure Storage How is your
manure composting site designed and constructed?
(continued)

• Not a practice commonly seen at this time.
• May, or may not occur on the farmstead.
• Does NOT include composting mortality.
• To protect ground water, the site should be on
  fine textured soils, packed clay, asphalt or
  concrete.
• The site surface should be well drained with
  runoff diversions or filter strips.
• Another acceptable alternative would be the use
  of an in-vessel composter.

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10-12) Livestock Manure Storage Do you have
runoff controls in place for manure storage
areas? If so, how are they designed and
constructed?

• Utilization of vegetative filters is an effective
  and accepted practice to filter nutrients and
  pathogens from runoff leaving production areas.

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10-12) Livestock Manure Storage Do you have
runoff controls in place for manure storage
areas? If so, how are they designed and
constructed? (continued)

• Examine all filter strips, diversions, and
  grassed waterways around farmstead.
• Are they legitimate, or weeds?
• Infiltration area or filter strip must be
  designed so the only water reaching it is from
  lot runoff and direct precipitation.
• Vegetation should be maintained and harvested at
  least once per year to prevent buildup of
  nutrients.

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Questions?

• Thank You!

Created by Joesph Kelpinski MAEAP
Verifier Michigan Department of Agriculture