Lesson 33: Site Characteristics

Lesson 33: Site Characteristics

Environmental Stewardship Assessment:

Do your land application sites include characteristics that may create a high environmental risk? The goal of this assessment tool is to help you confidentially evaluate environmental issues that relate to characteristics of land application sites. Identify the Field IDs. (Note: Complete the worksheet separately for each field.) For each issue, select the statement that best describes conditions for the field. If any categories do not apply, leave them blank.

Field ID:

Accuracy and Availability of Information for a Manure Utilization Plan

1. Slope of soils with annual or perennial crops

Annual crops: Slopes > 10%
Perennial crops: Slopes >15%

Annual crops: Slopes of 4-10%
Perennial crops: Slopes of 8-15%

Annual crops: Slopes < 4%
Perennial crops: Slopes < 8%

Corresponding magnitude of risk

2. Depth to highest seasonal groundwater or fractured or permeable bedrock

< 2 ft
2-4 ft
> 4 ft

Corresponding magnitude of risk

3. Flooding potential

> 50 times in 100 years
5-50 times in 100 years
< 5 times in 100 years

Corresponding magnitude of risk

4. Ponding

Soils with high likelihood of ponding
Soils with moderate likelihood ponding
Soils with low likelihood of of ponding

Corresponding magnitude of risk

5. Tile Drainage?

Site includes field drains tied to groundwater.
      OR
      Site includes field drains directly to surface water.
      OR
      Site includes field drains to ditches or grassed waterways connected to surface water, and drainage reaches surface water during low intensity storms or snow melt.

Site includes field drains to ditches or grassed waterways connected to surface water, and drainage reaches surface water only during high-intensity storms.

Site includes field drains to ditches or grassed waterways, but drainage rarely or never reaches surface water.

Corresponding magnitude of risk

6. Isolation of application site from wells

< 100 ft
100-300 ft, and well is at same or lower elevation than application site.
> 300 ft
OR
100-300 ft, and well is at higher elevation than application site.

Corresponding magnitude of risk

7. Isolation of application site from surface water

Land application site borders surface waters with < 50-ft riparian or buffer zone.

Land application site borders surface waters with > 50-ft riparian or buffer zone.
OR
Land application site is within 1 mile of surface water and connected by channel flow (ditch, waterway, etc.).

Land application site is > 1 mile from surface water.

Corresponding magnitude of risk

8. Isolation of application site from neighbors

< 200 ft
200 ft-1/2 mile
> 1/2 mile

Corresponding magnitude of risk

Net Survey Score:
Magnitude of Risk:

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