The total amount of animal waste produced in the state of Wisconsin in 1997 was over 3.7 billion gallons.
 

The EPA cites animal waste as one of the most prevalent causes of fish kills.

• In April 1998, a manure pit collapsed and released animal waste into a nearby river.  The clean-up effort from the spill took several weeks to complete.
• In May 1998, a farmer spread liquid manure onto a field adjoining Parker Creek, and a subsequent rainfall washed the manure into the water, resulting in a nearly 100% fish kill and killing more than 7,000 trout.  The farmer was fined only $200 for the incident because the state of Wisconsin does not possess legal protection or prosecution powers for lost or damaged fish populations.
• In August 1998, the over-application of liquid manure to a field killed 250,000 fish.
• In August 1998, runoff from the over-application of manure (30,000 gallons per acre) to a field led to the serious contamination of Lake Michigan and two streams.

The concentration of production at feedlots means the concentration of pollutants.
 

Pollutants from animal waste are present even when there are no visible manure spills or fish kills.

• Animal waste carries nutrients (such as phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia), bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and other harmful pollutants which can contaminate surface and groundwater.
• Pollutants associated with manure waste have caused blue-baby syndrome, miscarriages, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and bacterial poisoning.
• One pound of phosphorus produces over 500 pounds of weeds and algae in a lake, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  Other pollutants in animal manure lead to oxygen-depletion of water, killing fish and other aquatic life.

Wisconsin has less industrial-scale operations than neighboring states, but is beginning to see growth in factory farms in the state. The governor has put policies in place to attract the "modernization and expansion" of Wisconsin’s animal agriculture industry by increasing large-scale dairy operations.  Therefore, protections need to be in place to prevent Wisconsin from experiencing water quality problems such as those in Iowa.
 

State policies inadequately address runoff pollution:

• Wisconsin farmers are generally not required to implement nutrient management plans for animal waste, unless cost-sharing is available through voluntary initiatives.
• Only large animal operations (1,000 animal units and greater) or farms causing significant water quality problems are regulated.
• Wisconsin’s inspections of livestock operations are complaint-based only.  This is, in part, due to the fact that Wisconsin has only 5 inspectors for 65,000 feedlots.

A recent incident in Wisconsin is indicative of the current trends in agriculture and state policy.  A large dairy facility has been proposed on a site in the Rush River basin.  It is estimated that the operation will produce 5 million gallons of manure each year, enough to cover a football field to a height of 17 feet.  Local residents, environmental and sporting groups oppose the new operation because it has the potential to severely pollute Rush River, one of the state’s best trout streams.  Over 200 people opposing the facility signed a petition asking the DNR to require an environmental impact statement for the operation.  The local Town Board voted unanimously to oppose the dairy.  Still, the public does not have the power to stop it.

Since the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972, the U.S. has made major advances in controlling pollution from point sources, such as industries and sewage treatment plants.  The Clean Water Act, however, does not regulate nonpoint source pollution, commonly referred to as runoff.  Today, runoff has become the greatest contributor to water quality problems because national policy has failed to properly regulate its pollution sources, namely agriculture.
 

Recommendations:

1) First, get involved in monitoring the health of your watershed.  Greater monitoring of fish kills is necessary.  It is not mandatory for states to report fish kills to the EPA and many do not.  Information is difficult to locate in most states because there is no centralized database for the information.  Report pollution events to either the Rapid Response Network of the Fish Kill Project or to your state agency.
2) Control of polluted runoff in the Clean Water Act is currently only voluntary, and needs to be strengthened.  Keep yourself informed on current water pollution issues and fish kill events.  Contact your state legislatures and congressman and encourage them to improve current legislation and to provide adequate funding for states to fully develop programs to manage runoff.  The federal government must commit financially to managing polluted runoff just as they have to controlling point source pollution.
3) Also, contact the local media and inform them about these major environmental concerns.  WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE CHANGE!