Agriculture Water Quality Planning
DEVELOP YOUR KENTUCKY AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY PLAN
Explore resources and planning tools below to assess your operation and identify best management practices to be included in your individual plan. After identifying your best management practices, remember to reach out for implementation assistance from your local Cooperative Extension Service Office or Conservation District Office.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Kentucky General Assembly passed the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act in 1994. The goal of the act is to protect surface and groundwater resources from pollution as a result of agriculture and silviculture (forestry) activities.
The Agriculture Water Quality Act requires all landowner/land users with ten (10) or more acres that is being used for agriculture or silviculture operations to develop and implement a water quality plan based upon guidance from the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan.
"Agriculture operation" means any farm operation on a tract of land, including all income producing improvements and farm dwellings, together with other farm buildings and structures incident to the operation and maintenance of the farm, situated on ten (10) contiguous acres or more of land used for the production of livestock, livestock products, poultry, poultry products, milk, milk products, or silviculture products or for the growing of crops such as, but not limited to, tobacco, corn, soybeans, small grains, fruits and vegetables, or devoted to and meeting the requirements and qualifications for payments to agriculture programs under an agreement with the state or federal government. "Silviculture" generally means that part of forestry that involves growing and harvesting of trees.
The Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan consists of best management practices from six different areas - Silviculture, Pesticides and Fertilizers, Farmstead, Crops, Livestock, and Streams and Other Waters. Each BMP includes definitions and descriptions, regulatory requirements, Agriculture Water Quality Authority requirements, design information, practice maintenance, technical assistance, cost share assistance, recommendations and references. This statewide plan will serve as a guide to individual landowners/land users as they develop water quality plans for their individual operations.
Individual landowners/land users must fully implement applicable requirements of the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan by October 23, 2001. Various tools are available to help landowners develop their plan. This web site contains an on-line tool to be used by landowners to assess their operation and identify best management practices to be included in their individual plan. After identifying the best management practices, landowners/land users implement these practices on their land. Assistance to implement the plan can be obtained through a variety of technical agencies.
Contact:
Dr. Amanda Gumbert
Extension Water Quality Specialist
University of Kentucky
N-122 Agricultural Science Ctr. North
Lexington , KY 40546-0091
Email: amanda.gumbert@uky.edu
Best Management Practices Resources
Alternative Water Sources: Developing Springs for Livestock Publication
Best Management Practices for Water Quality: Filter Strips Factsheet
Best Management Practices for Water Quality: Grassed Waterways Factsheet
Best Management Practices for Water Quality: Riparian Buffer Factsheet
Composting Horse Muck Publication
Drinking Water Quality Standards for Cattle Publication
Enhanced Vegetative Strips for Livestock Facilities Publication
Field Guide to Best Management Practices for Timber Harvesting in Kentucky Publication
High Traffic Area Pads for Horses Publication
How to Close an Abandoned Well Publication
Incentives for Fencing Streams Factsheet
Nutrient Management Concepts for Livestock Producers Publication
Kentucky Nutrient Management Planning Guidelines (KyNMP)
Pasture Feeding, Streamside Grazing, and the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan Publication
Pervious Concrete as a Flooring Material for Horse Handling Areas Publication
Planting a Riparian Zone Publication
Practical BMPs for Watersheds Factsheet
Riparian Buffers: A Livestock Best Management Practice for Protecting Water Quality Publication
Sinkhole Management for Agricultural Producers Publication
Using Dry Lots to Conserve Pastures and Reduce Pollution Potential Publication
Using Weep Berms to Improve Water Quality Publication
Woodland Winter Feeding of Cattle: Water Quality Best Management Practices Publication
Kentucky Division of Conservation: Conservation Districts County Contact Information
Kentucky Division of Conservation: Agriculture Water Quality Act
Kentucky Master Logger Program
UK Field Guide to Best Management Practices for Timber Harvesting in Kentucky
UK Kentucky Forest Practice Guidelines for Water Quality Management
