Potential Priority Watersheds for Protection of Water Quality from Contamination by Manure Nutrients

Manure applied to the land is susceptible to leaching and runoff, and can be a significant source of contamination of groundwater and surface water. Government programs and policies addressing this issue are presently under discussion. Proposals by EPA are regulatory in nature, while proposals by USDA are voluntary but may include subsidies. USDA technical assistance will probably be a component of both. Once agreement has been reached about the specifics of these programs and policies, attention will turn to implementation. Because of the large number of farms involved in animal agriculture, it will probably require several years to fully implement the programs and policies.