A good rule of thumb is that a vegetative treatment area (VTA) needs to be at least as large as the feedlot, open lot, or barnyard area. If local sizing procedures are available from your land-grant university or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, those recommendations should be followed. Consult design professionals, such as an engineer or technical consultant experienced with VTS design, before constructing any type of livestock waste control facility.
For additional information on sizing , refer to Chapter 6 of the NRCS collaborative report on Vegetative Treatment Systems for Open Lot Runoff.
Author: Chris Henry, University of Nebraska
