For
immediate release:
Jan. 26, 2012
1.
Cold weather kicks in limits on
winter manure application for confinements
2.
Missouri River Authority meets
Feb. 3 in Des Moines
COLD WEATHER
KICKS IN LIMITS ON WINTER MANURE APPLICATION FOR CONFINEMENTS
MEDIA CONTACTS: Ken Hessenius
at 712-262-4177 or [log in to unmask]
or Gene Tinker at 563-927-2640 or [log in to unmask]
DES
MOINES – Most producers recognize that winter manure application can result in
loss of important nutrients and cause runoff problems.
State
law, however, actually prohibits some producers from applying liquid manure on
snow-covered ground after Dec. 21 and frozen ground after Feb. 1 unless it’s an
emergency.
The
law does not apply to manure from open feedlots or dry manure.
It
applies to confinement (totally roofed) facilities with liquid manure that have
500 or more animal units. Generally, 500 animal units would be 1,250 finishing
hogs; 5,000 nursery pigs; 500 steers, immature dairy cows or other cattle; or
357 mature dairy cows.
“We’ve
been lucky this year having very little snow on the ground,” said Ken Hessenius,
supervisor of the DNR Spencer field office. “But now that we have a little snow,
we want to remind all livestock and poultry producers that they need to protect
water and prevent pollution as they land apply manure.”
In addition, the law limits liquid manure application from confinements from Dec. 21 to April 1 if the ground is snow-covered. If manure can be injected or incorporated, it can be land applied during this time. Snow-covered ground is defined as soil having one inch or more of snow cover or one-half inch or more of ice cover. Starting Feb. 1, confinement producers with 500 or more animal units will also be limited to emergencies if applying liquid manure on frozen ground.Under
those conditions, producers can apply only in emergency situations, defined in
the law as unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the producer such as
natural disaster, unusual weather conditions, or equipment or structural
failure.
Confinement producers must call
the local DNR field office before they apply to report emergency applications.
They can apply manure only to fields identified for emergency application in
their manure management plans that have a Phosphorus Index of 2 or less. DNR
field specialists will ask several questions about the application area and
amount. They may have ideas or suggestions for producers who have questions
about a specific site or risks. Field office locations and phone numbers are
available at
www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/DNRStaffOffices/EnvironmentalFieldOffices.aspx .
Hessenius added that if the
manure is surface applied, producers and commercial applicators need to observe
the separation distances, generally applying at least:
“The
research shows that the later in the season and the closer to spring snowmelt
that you apply, the greater the risk that manure-laden runoff will reach a
stream,” he said. He recommends that producers who might run out of storage this
winter consider emergency application early in the winter, not
late.
“Most
important, they should use good common sense, applying on flat land with the
least snow cover, located far from a stream,” Hessenius said.
More
information on the protected areas is available at www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/afo/sepdstb4.pdf?amp;tabid=1465.
Recommendations from the Iowa Manure Management Action Group about applying
manure in winter are available at http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/pubs/imms/vol3.pdf.
# # #
MISSOURI RIVER
AUTHORITY MEETS FEB. 3 IN DES MOINES
MEDIA CONTACT: Sharon Tahtinen
at 515-281-7066 or [log in to unmask]
DES
MOINES – An update on flooding in western Iowa will be the highlight of the next
meeting of the State Interagency Missouri River Authority (SIMRA) Feb. 3 in Des
Moines.
The
authority is an interagency, interstate group that makes recommendations on
policies affecting the Missouri River.
The
group will meet from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Iowa Utilities Board office, 1375 E.
Court Avenue. The meeting is open to the public.
Also
on the agenda, the group will discuss current and potential hydrologist roles
and responsibilities within the state.
The complete agenda is
available below and on the state public meetings calendar at http://www.iowa.gov/state/main/pmc/pmc.php
under DNR:
·
Welcome and
Introductions
·
Approve
Agenda
·
Approve Summary from Oct. 26,
2011, Meeting
·
Discussion on Hydrologist
Roles/Responsibilities within the state
·
Updates:
o
Levee Workgroup – Tom
Oswald
o
Homeland Security Flood Task
Force – Tom Oswald
o
Floodplain Management – Lori
McDaniel
o
COE
Activities – Missouri River – Ryan Buckley (by phone)
o
Other
·
Public
Comment
·
Next
Meeting and Agenda Items
·
Adjourn
Interested people can attend
the meeting on a conference call by dialing 866-685-1580. Then, they should
follow the prompts, typing in the conference code of 2816326 followed by the
pound (#) sign.
Representatives on the Missouri
River Authority include the Governor's office; the Secretary of Agriculture; the
Chair of the Utilities Board; the Economic Development Authority and the
directors of the departments of natural resources and transportation or their
designees.
-30-
please send a blank e-mail to: [log in to unmask]