Saving the Bay

Congressman Reid Ribble held a summit on April 1 to address the concern of phosphorus levels in Green Bay and surrounding waters. More than 125 stakeholders – including farmers, utility companies, conservationists and residents – gathered at the Neville Museum in Green Bay to hear the latest data and innovative solutions.

“We have seen Green Bay affected by toxic algae blooms that kill fish and make the waters dangerous to swim in every summer for the past decade,” said Ribble.

The summit addressed excess phosphorus in the watershed throughout the Green Bay area. Excess phosphorus, left over from excess manure on farms and industrial pollution, enters the water. When it reaches the bay, it forms algae blooms that deprive fish of the oxygen in the water.

Pollution that has contributed to the northeast Wisconsin watershed has changed from point to non-point over time. Point pollution is expelled from a specific location, such as a riverside factory, while non-point pollution comes from a broad area, such as the spreading of manure over hundreds of acres.

“It makes sense now that we shift our focus on how do we get agriculture producers to affect pollution because we can now do that at a much more effective cost,” said Cathy Stepp, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

According to Stepp, the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 addressed industry and point pollution by enforcing limits on the amount of waste that can be expelled. Now that non-point pollution is causing 70 percent of the phosphorus deposited in the watershed, focus shifted to non-point pollution on the area’s farms.

“The industry has changed,” said John Pagel of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee County. “The problem we have today is not about one farm or small farms. I’m part of the problem but I’m also part of the solution.”

Pagel’s operation has capacity for 1,750 cows and is classified as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). In addressing his impact, Pagel has implemented innovative practices to cut down on his contribution to the problem.

The more cows a farm manages, the more manure it must manage as well. Manure is loaded with nutrients and when it is spread on a field, it fertilizes the soil for crops to grow.

The problem arises when there is an excess of manure applied to the soil. The unabsorbed nutrient excess can get into surrounding water.

“I think we need to look at the number of cows versus the amount of landscape to be sure there’s a balance,” said Kevin Fermanich, professor of environmental and geoscience and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

However, this balance can shift each year with crop yields. During a bad crop year, less nutrients must be spread. But cows are not producing less manure.

Both Pagel and John Jacobs of Green Valley Dairy implemented measures on their dairy farms to use all of the manure produced in a productive way instead of spreading it on the land in excess.

“The loss of nutrients is not only environmentally irresponsible,” said Jacobs. “It has a negative economic impact on all cropping operations. It’s bad for business.”

Digesters make use of manure properties that would otherwise be wasted. Methane gas from manure is captured and converted to electricity. In Jacob’s case, it is enough electricity to power 1,200 homes in the area. Solid materials produced by the digester are used as bedding for cows. Michigan State University has even cleaned the excess water from manure and turned it into drinking water for livestock.

By producing other materials out of manure, excess nutrients are not being spread on the land and not seeping into the watershed.

The summit also addressed the strict limits on when manure could be spread. These limitations do not take into account environmental conditions that can affect nutrient spreading.

“The highest phosphorus levels ever were last fall due to a short fall season and forcing farmers to lay manure quickly,” said Fermanich.

This creates a concentrated application that is more likely to enter the water supply.

“We need to spread manure more often throughout the year,” said Paul Zimmerman of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. “You can’t do it by the calendar, you have to do it by the conditions. Rather than putting all the manure down on a 20-acre field all at once, maybe we need to spread that over several applications.”

Still, panelists cited the importance of manure spreading on the health of the land and the health of the economy.

“We want to help the environment without restricting business so much that they put up their shutters and head out of Wisconsin,” said Stepp. Industrial businesses and farming operations will inevitably contribute some pollution, but finding the line between managing pollution and promoting business is the goal of the panel and the attendees.

“Phosphorus itself isn’t a pollutant,” said Russ Rassmussen of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “It’s a nutrient and it’s necessary for plant and animal life. It’s not a toxin, it’s not a carcinogen. However, when it’s present in excess, it has very profound impacts on water quality.”

Today, phosphorus is in excess and it is contributing to poor water quality across northeastern Wisconsin. By implementing innovative technologies instead of legislation where pollution is most widespread, currently the farming operations in the area, Ribble and his team look to save the bay.