Page 178 - Nutrient Management Planning Guide

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Manure Application and Alberta’s Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA)

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As a courtesy, producers are encouraged to notify their neighbours before spreading manure to reduce complaints and conflict associated with manure application.

Minimum Setback Distances for Manure applied on Forage, Direct-Seeded Crops, and Frozen or Snow-Covered Land

An operator whose Confined Feeding Operation (CFO) has at least nine months of manure storage is prohibited from applying manure to frozen or snow-covered ground. The legislation recognizes that there may be exceptional circumstances that create the need for operators to spread manure on snow or frozen ground. This practice may be allowed with permission from an NRCB inspector, or if the Board publishes a notice permitting the application of manure on frozen and snow-covered land. Livestock operations and CFOs constructed before January 1, 2002, that do not have nine months of storage can continue to spread on frozen and snow-covered ground, but they must comply with the various setbacks and soil nutrient limits in the regulations.

Manure application on frozen or snow-covered land is not a recommended beneficial management practice. In Alberta more than 85% of the runoff comes from snowmelt. Application of manure on snow-covered or frozen ground increases the risk of nutrient transport from the field to neighbouring water bodies.

If manure must be applied to frozen or snow-covered land, from a beneficial management point of view, there are several considerations that can be made to reduce the risk of nutrient runoff:

Have an emergency plan in place, as part of the •

operation, to deal with the development of situations that would require the application of manure on snow-covered or frozen ground. As part of the operation plan, assess the risks •

associated with various fields or parts of fields to determine their suitability for the application and to minimize the risk of nutrient loss through runoff.

On selected fields establish structural controls (i.e., •

berm or catch basin) or management practices (i.e., standing stubble) to reduce the risk of runoff. Choose a field that does not border or drain into a •

common body of water Apply manure to the centre areas of the field that do •

not drain off of the field Limit the frequency and rate of application to a •

minimum.

Manure application on forage, direct-seeded, and frozen or snow-covered land has specific setback requirements. Manure that is spread and not incorporated must be spread at least 150 metres from any residence, other building or occupied structure that is not owned by the operator (including churches and schools). An example of buildings or structures not occupied by people includes granaries and hay storage sheds.

A person who applies manure on forage, direct-seeded and frozen or snow-covered land must meet minimum application setback distances, keeping mind the average slope of the land near the common body of water, if the land slopes toward the common body of water (Table 4.4.2 and Figure 4.4.2). When planning manure applications, setback distances impact the available area in a field, and therefore limits the amount of manure that can be applied to that field. Specific practices and controls to reduce nutrient losses from runoff are discussed in Module 8.0.

Slopes in a field, particularly those adjacent to a common body of water, should have been characterized during the site assessment. For the purposes of AOPA, measuring the slope over the first 90 metres from the edge of the water body is sufficient.

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Even if setbacks are met, reasonable care and attention should be taken to reduce the amount of manure that may enter common bodies of water as a result of snowmelt runoff.