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Small Farms

Runoff that comes into contact with a barnyard surface or an open lot is considered “dirty” or contaminated. Once clean runoff touches manure, all of the water flowing through the lot or barnyard is polluted. Therefore if 80 acres of pasture runoff drains through a one-acre lot containing manure, the result is 81 acres of polluted or “dirty” runoff.

Keep Clean Water Clean

“Dirty” runoff needs to be controlled or managed. “Clean” water, that is water that does not come into contact with manure, can be diverted away from the barnyard or open lot. There are many inexpensive ways to do this. Clean water ditches, channels, waterways, terraces, or ditches can be used to divert runoff around a lot. Sometimes it’s as simple as pushing dirt or gravel with a blade just so runoff goes around a lot rather than through it. Roof runoff from buildings can sometimes be substantial depending on the size, this runoff can be directed with guttering, away or through the lot using buried pipe. By diverting roof runoff, the barnyard or lot area conditions are dramatically improved because of the reduction of water to the area reducing the amount of and depth of mud.