Can I store manure safely?

Can I store manure safely?

Storage of slurries, liquids, and long-term stockpiled solid manure can leach liquids with nitrogen and salts that may move through the soil profile toward groundwater. Careful site evaluation is needed to determine if permanent manure storage sites can be designed minimize this risk. Depending on local soils, an earthen storage with a properly compacted soil liner may be possible. However, some sites will require an impermeable flexible liner or concrete for storing manure safely.

A first review of a proposed site can be done using USDA’s Web Soil Survey. A location can be identified using the survey’s GIS mapping tool, and area of interest can be identified to determine soil characteristics, and a “Suitabilities and Limitations for Use” resource for sewage lagoons can provide a preliminary idea of the appropriateness of a site. Because this tool only looks at the topsoil layers, an engineering analysis will eventually be needed for a more complete review of the site.

It is also important to review a proposed site’s connections to surface water. Topographic maps showing intermittent, perennial streams, and wetlands are important to review. Nebraska flood plains and registered water wells maps, maintained by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, are excellent resources for understanding a potential site’s risk.