Livestock and Water Quality
Does your livestock contribute to water quality issues? The Washington State Department of Ecology has started asking this question. As landowners and stockowners, we have to know the answer. If you own animals, does their manure mix with surface water? Does the surface water flow into the ground water? How can we find out if there is a problem, and if there is a problem, how can we fix it?

For someone who owns a couple of horses or sheep or llamas, this is not really a major issue. If we build our barns away from the streambank, and if we are careful when we dispose of our manure, we should be doing just fine.

Obviously, ranchers have more animals, and consequently, more manure to deal with. We hear words thrown around like AFO and CAFO, and people wonder what to do, where to look for answers.

Another thing that we do at FCD is offer assistance with nutrient (or manure) management. We have developed a Risk Assessment Worksheet. If a landowner has a concern, the first thing we suggest is that they take the worksheet and fill it out. If you still have questions, please get in touch with us. Our staff can work with you, and help you find solutions. Remember, FCD is a non-regulatory agency. We are here to help landowners become better stewards of the land.

These before and after pictures show what a little bit of land management can accomplish.