Water and the Farmer

By: Bob Messinger

When traveling outside New York State, it amazes me that many folks from other parts of the country seem to think of this state as a huge concrete and blacktop slab of land. Many fail to realize that we have enormous natural beauty; the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Finger Lakes, the Genesee Valley, the Hudson Valley, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier, the North Country, the Niagara Frontier (I'd better stop because I'm sure to leave some sections out). Outsiders also tend to forget that New York State is a great agricultural state. About 25 percent of the State's land area or 7.8 million acres is utilized by about 38,000 farmers to help put food on our tables. New York ranks 3rd nationally in milk production, 4th in meat production, 2nd in apple production, 4th in sweet corn, 1st in cabbage, 2nd in corn silage, and 4th in snap beans. It also ranks high nationally in the production of potatoes, eggs, onions, grapes, strawberries, oats, hay, even maple syrup (2nd in the nation). New York State's agriculture can be called its leading industry. It is difficult to imagine just how much water is used by New York State agriculture in producing these crops and maintaining cattle. I was shocked to learn that a cow drinks about 10 gallons of water daily. And, if the animal is under heat stress or during lactation, it may require two to three times that amount. Not only does agriculture use vast amounts of water, it can affect water supplies. Farmers are dependent on their lands and work hard to meet environmental standards; it is in their self-interest. But like all industries, there is the potential for accidents. Soil erosion can carry sediments, nutrients, and pesticides to surface water. Sediments can destroy breeding areas for fish and decrease their ability to find food. Nutrients may stimulate the growth and decomposition of algae, resulting in the lack of oxygen for fish. Pesticides may kill, deform, or otherwise harm aquatic life. Nutrients in fertilizers can leach into groundwater or be carried by runoff or erosion into surface water. High levels of nitrate can negatively affect human and animal health, especially infants and young livestock. Phosphorus transported to surface water can cause algae blooms. Silage leachate contains high concentrations of nutrients, high-energy organic matter, and acids that create a high BOD by algae and aquatic microorganisms. When silage leachate comes into contact with soil, the high BOD, low pH, and strong chemical interactions of the leachate can cause iron, manganese, and other soil minerals to become soluble and leach into groundwater. And manure contains pathogens and nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, that can be transported to lakes, rivers and wells through water runoff, soil erosion, or tile drains. Soils that are wet or sandy, or have high groundwater tables, or have high manure application rates, or have pores caused by cracking, worm channels, or root growth can allow contaminates from manure to leach into groundwater. Pathogens, including Giardia, Cryptosporidium Parvum, and E. Coli can cause disease and even kill humans and animals. As you are all aware, the Federal and State governments have been attempting to clean up our lakes and rivers for many decades. The 1972 Clean Water Act was established to help promote this objective. That act also termed animal feeding operations that confine animals in a non-vegetated area for more than 45 days a year as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and defined them as point sources prohibited from discharging pollutants into waters without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Among other things, the 1972 CWA allows for citizen lawsuits against suspected violators. Much work has been done on point source pollution and now as Peter Wright, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University writes, "EPA is turning its attention toward the non-point source arena. They now believe that 60% of the surface waters not meeting standards today is from non-point sources. They feel that 80% of the non-point pollution is from agriculture. In general, EPA says animal waste contributes half of the pollution from agriculture. Using their figures, one fourth of the water pollution in the country is from animal waste." After much time and a great deal of debate, New York State has developed a CAFO permit for farms within the state. Unlike most other State Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (SPDES) permits, a CAFO permit promises that a farm is designed and operated such that there is zero discharge except in the event of a storm resulting in greater than the local 25-year 24-hour rainfall. The permit requires a farm to develop and implement an Agricultural Waste Management Plan (AWMP) that insures the following:

1. Proper treatment for discharges of wastewater from production processes such as milk house waste, egg wash, silage leachate, etc. Proper treatment of storm water runoff from areas contaminated by animals or stored feeds like barnyards, bunker silos, denuded areas where animals congregate, etc.
2. Nutrient management plans (including manure applications) developed with consideration for nutrient concerns of the local watershed/water body.

Farm operations are being required to file a Notice of Intent to be covered. Large CAFOs (1000 animal units, an AU=1000 lbs of body weight for livestock) will have 18 months to develop their AWMP. Small CAFOs (300-999 AU farms) have 24 months to develop their plan. All large AU operations must be permitted. For 300-999 AU farms, it will be an operator decision but all sized farms are being encouraged to apply. There is little doubt that complying will incur cost but the benefits to the farmer can be knowing that he is meeting the requirements of pollution control laws, protection from the Citizens Lawsuit Provision of the CWA, reduced potential to pollute, improved public image of the farm and the livestock industry, and improved sale ability of a permitted operation. As discussed at recent Nutrient Management Field Days held at the EZ Acres Farm in Homer, NY sponsored by NRCS, SWCD, Cornell Co-op Extension, and Cornell Pro-Dairy, regulators won't drive CAFO permits as much as bankers and citizen complaints will. New York Rural Water's Solid Waste Management Training and Technical Assistance Program is attempting to help get needed information to the state's farmers on CAFO permits. We have attempted to study the regulations, reviewed some Agricultural Waste Management Plans, and have made on-farm visits. We will co-host a workshop on the process in the fall with the Columbia County Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. We are also working with the Cornell Waste Management Institute to present composting as another option for animal waste removal. Sound environmental management of New York State's farms and pure water go hand in hand. (I must acknowledge Lee Telega and Peter Wright of Pro-Dairy, Cornell University, and Janice Degni from Cortland County Cornell Cooperative Extension for help with this article.)