BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE : SILAGE LEACHATE CONTROL SYSTEM

Dairy Farm, Town of Sherburne: The silage leachate control system was installed on a dairy farm in the Town of Sherburne. This system is designed to collect silage leachate, a liquid which contains high concentrations of nutrients and acid, from entering ground or surface water supplies. When there is a large amount of water mixed with leachate, called high flow, the effluent goes to a properly designed leach field. When there is a small amount of water mixed with leachate (low flow) and the concentration of leachate is high, the effluent goes to concrete tank to the right hand side which will be pumped out a mixed with manure. It will eventually be applied to crop fields in accordance with a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan. This project was funded through a NYS Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution and Abatement grant.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: ALTERNATIVE WATERING SYSTEM

Dairy Farm, Town of Norwich: This system was installed on a dairy farm in the Town of Norwich. This system was installed adjacent to an existing pond on the farm. A 500 gallon precast concrete tank was placed adjacent to the pond, wrapped in non-woven geotextile fabric and buried with DOT #2 stone. A submersible pump was placed inside the tank and hooked to a pressure tank. Water will be pumped to pastures to provide clean water from a reliable source. Before this system was in-place, the livestock accessed water from a small stream and several existing ponds on the farm. Livestock will be unable to access the ponds, streams, or other hydrologically sensitive areas. This project was partially funded by a grant through the National Fish and Wildlife Council and administered by the Finger Lakes RC&D. It was also partially funded through the NYS Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution and Abatement grant and through the Conservation Reserve Program.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: STREAM CROSSING

Dairy Farm, Town of Norwich: Before the crossing was installed on this dairy farm in the Town of Norwich, the stream banks on this small stream were eroded and sparsely vegetated. This situation can negatively affect water quality downstream as it increases sediment and nutrient levels. Additionally, livestock had access to all stream, ponds, and other hydrologically sensitive areas on the farm. At the end of the project, livestock will be fenced out of these areas and the stream crossing will provide a stable, centralized area for livestock to access a large portion of the farm's pasture. On this project, the contractor insalled 16 - 5' x 8' x 8" precast concrete cattle slats. On the downstream side, the contractor installed heavy and medium dump rip rap to avoid stream bed erosion.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: BARNYARD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Dairy Farm, Town of Oxford: A new concrete barnyard was installed on a dairy farm in the Town of Oxford. The barnyard area has 6" concrete curbs with a 2' buck wall in the center to help to clean the barnyard pad. The pad slopes to a boxed area where there is a three screen system to filter out solids. The liquid effluent from the barnyard pad is piped to a tank and then transferred to a wetland treatment area. This project also includes treatment of the milkhouse wash water.

 

Best Management Practice: Stream Rehabilitation
Canasawacta Creek, Town of Plymouth

 

Best Management Practice: Stream Rehabilitation
Senator Libous Stream Rehabilitation Projects

Above: Riprap Project completed in the Village of Afton

Above: Stacked Rock Wall, City of Norwich

Over the past several years, the Soil and Water Conservation District has been working with the Town of Plymouth Watershed group to implement stream rehabilitation practices on the Canasawacta Creek. The District, along with Carl Schwartz from the National Fish and Wildlife Service and the NRCS State Office, have been working since January on installing natural stream design practices on the Canasawacta Creek to improve fish habitat, decrease stream bank erosion, and decrease flood damages incurred to residents along the Creek. Funding for this project was granted through the a USDA program called the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

For more information and insight on this project, visit our SPECIAL PROJECTS PAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stream rehabilitation projects to the left were completed utilizing funding from New York State Senator, Thomas Libous. Senator Libous was able to secure money for Chenango County's residents to help restore streambank areas that suffered severe damage during the 2006 flood. Senator Libous called upon the Soil and Water District to select the appropriate sites, devise a plan or strategy to restore the area, seek and oversee the contruction, and then finally oversee payments. These are two of the four projects that were completed.