Matthew F. Stephens
County Agent, Jackson Parish
I have heard all my life the old saying “It’s just a drop in a bucket, so don’t worry about it.” This saying is used in response to everything from political power to how much money someone makes or spends. It is also used a lot in terms of water quality and erosion control. I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard (and said) “That ain’t enough to count” or “That’s a drop in a bucket to what one of those factories put in the water” when talking about keeping water runoff from reaching our creeks, rivers and eventually lakes.
I was recently gone on family business for two weeks. Since I had to leave in quite a hurry, I didn’t have time to repair a few things around the barn before I left. One thing that needed repairing was a small leak in the water line going out to the water trough in the cow pasture. Since it was a very small leak, I dropped the portion of the hose with the leak into a 250-gallon water trough and thought to myself that the trough would not even be close to full by the time I got back. I have never been so wrong in all my life. When I got back home 10 days later, the trough was running over and had been doing so for a while.
The water leak episode got me to thinking about people who live just outside of town on 5-20 acres of land and have a couple of horses, or a few cows, goats, etc.. I have heard these small acreage places called “ranchettes," “weekend farms,” “hobby farms,” etc. What about the impact that this scenario could have on a creek running through or adjacent to this property. It would be a minimal impact or a “drop in a bucket” when compared to the big cattle/poultry producer on out further from town….right? Wrong again!! The “drop in a bucket” theory definitely does not apply in this situation. This is true for many reasons.
The average horse produces approximately 8 tons, a 1,000 pound beef cow produces approximately 11.5 tons and the average pig produces 2.5 tons of manure per year. Manure generated from any animal specie (dogs, cats, lizards, relatives etc.) contains nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. It also contains pathogenic organisms that can be transferred to humans. The nutrients in the manure eventually are used by the growing plants for food, leached into the ground or washed away from rain. Runoff from rain events carry the nutrients to water sources such as creeks, rivers, etc. What the large farms have that the majority of small areas do not is filtering area. The average 50 foot strip of grass can filter out as much as 95 percent of nutrients and pathogens in runoff water. It also holds soil together in order to prevent erosion. Small acreage sites with livestock tend to have much more bare ground per acre than do larger farms. This creates much higher potential for pollution than the larger farms. Even though I cannot give a researched-based number as to how much more pollutants per acre find their way into surface water, I would bet money that it is more than twice the amount. I know that I have been saying “per acre” regarding the amount of pollutants that can possibly reach our surface water. One may say, “I just have 6 acres.” That’s just a drop in the proverbial bucket. How many of these 5 to 15 acre places are there in our part of the country? How long before the bucket is full?
What is being done by “larger” agricultural producers to lessen the potential for water impairment? Thanks to educational programming from the LSU AgCenter and cost-sharing conservation programs from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), agricultural producers are implementing what are known as best management practices (BMP) on their operations. These BMPs are research-based management practices that are implemented to greatly lessen the potential for pollutants to reach water bodies. Filter strips, buffer zones and critical area restoration are some of the BMPs those producers are utilizing on their operations to prevent surface and ground water pollution.
What can the “ranchettes/weekend farms/hobby farms” do to lessen their potential contribution to water impairments is not as complicated as one may think. If one will remember that the vast majority of pollution comes from erosion and runoff from areas where no vegetation exists. With that in mind, make sure that vegetation is growing close and around water bodies such as creeks, streams, etc. the vegetation serves as a filter for pollutants. Another way to lessen the potential for water impairment from these areas is to utilize animal waste such as manure and stall cleanings as fertilizers, soil enhancers, garden mulches, etc. There are many more BMPs that can be implemented on these smaller areas and make a large difference in water quality. When combined, common sense and forethought serves as a great tool in preserving our surface and ground water supply. We need to slow down the drops that are filling the bucket in order to insure that our surface water remains safe for future generations.
For more information concerning BMPs or any other agricultural or water quality issues, contact your local LSU AgCenter Cooperative Extension Office or visit the LSU AgCenter Web site.