CASE STUDY: The Effects of Dairy Effluent Application
on a Pasture During the Winter
CASE
We proposed the following questions after learning about our case of dairy
effluent applied to pasture land:
- How does topography affect the runoff of applied manure?
- What is a TMDL? How is it calculated?
- What are indicator organisms and what are they used for?
- What are some examples of indicator organisms?
- What methods are used to assess fecal contamination?
- What are the ramifications of fecal contamination from this effluent?
- How does fecal contamination affect the aquatic community, the people
using the water for recreational and/or drinking purposes and the
livestock using the water?
- What diseases can one get from water contaminated with feces?
- How does the fecal contamination affect the chemistry of the water and the
BOD/COD?
- How can we prove that the contamination came from the cows and not
something else (methods of source-tracking)?
- What are the regulations concerning fecal contamination and how can this
runoff be prevented (without necessarily preventing ANY dairy effluent
applications)?
- What are the acceptable limits for indicator organisms in GA (EPA
standards)?
- What can dairy farmers do to prevent this kind of runoff?
- What can the state do to help dairy farmers?
These questions are fair game for the final exam. The class worked as a
team to answer these topics and below we have some notes that were presented in
class.