First, I would recommend that you talk with your neighbor. Communication is a very strong tool. Always give people an opportunity to understand that you have a concern or problem first. If this is an option, it will usually achieve the quickest and least costly change to the satisfaction of both parties. State and federal regulations target protection of water quality. If the neighbor is spreading manure at a nutrient rate that exceeds crop nutrient use or at a location less than 100 feet from surface water, your state's department of environmental quality may be able to force some change in practice. Most nuisance issues such as odors are handled by local (county or township) regulations. These regulations can be highly variable and may or may not be able to assist in achieving a change in practice. Check with your local government entities. For state-specific information, I would suggest that you contact your county's Cooperative Extension Office. They are associated with your land grant university, a good source of research-based information. Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska

Browse related Faqs by tag: animal manure management, horse, horse manure, nuisance issues, neighbor issues