Story originally printed in the Vernon County Broadcaster or online at http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com

Manure runoff continues in Jersey Valley watershed

If Jersey Valley Lake was full, it could have experienced another fish kill due to manure runoff this month.

In March 2005, all the fish in the lake were killed due to manure run off that polluted the lake. The lake has since been drained as officials investigate how to fix fissures in the lake bed.

While addressing the Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Committee Friday, resource conservationist Phil Hahn left little to the imagination. He said DNR officials have been monitoring runoff in the watershed and they have reported to him that the runoff is "brown, turbid and stinks like manure."

Hahn said farmers continue to spread manure on frozen ground in the Jersey Valley watershed despite the anger that county residents have expressed over last year's event.

"People are angry," Hahn said. "People are absolutely furious that there is nothing going on with this. There was nothing going on before this happened, there was nothing going on during, and there is nothing going on now."

Hahn said the changes in agriculture and the geography of the area have combined to create the runoff problem.

"Vernon County, because of the steepness of the slopes, etc., is not acceptable to factory farming," Hahn said. "I was out there yesterday and there were farmers spreading manure on frozen ground. It had to be 3-4 inches thick."

Hahn said many farmers spread manure to get their storage units empty before spring. Also, the county places weight limits on county and town roads when the frost begins to come out of the ground because of the potential damage that heavy equipment can do to roads when the ground is soft.

"They are still spreading on frozen ground," Hahn said.

Recent recommendations from a state "Manure Board" headed by former state senator Brian Rude of Coon Valley says that farmers should develop practices to reduce runoff, but stopped short of suggesting further regulation. The board was appointed by the governor last year when manure runoff resulted in more than 50 incidents of waterway contamination including Jersey Valley.

"I brought this committee a draft proposal 11 months ago that (includes) prohibition against spreading on frozen ground and it has yet to be acted on," Hahn said.

Hahn said the proposal called for manure incorporation into the soil within 24 hours. Incorporation means working the manure into the soil or injecting the manure directly into the soil, Hahn said.

"Farmers need to use common sense on manure," Supervisor George Nettum said.

"Farmers look at it (manure) as waste handling and not nutrient management," Hahn said.

The contamination of the lake last year forced the county to empty the lake. The drawdown then prompted DNR officials to order to the county to repair a leaking problem that had been present since nearly the time of construction in 1969. The county board gave the go ahead for Land and Water Conservation to pay for engineers and geologists from USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to begin an investigation into the leak. Hahn gave the committee a report on the progress of that investigation.

"They won't even tell me how much they think it will cost," Hahn said. "All I can tell you for sure is that it will cost over $1 million and less then $100 million."

Supervisor Doug Brueggen asked if the structure or lake could be made smaller.

"No, the dam is there and it has to be repaired," Hahn said.

"The dam has been leaking all along why hasn't something been done before now?" asked Brueggen.

"It hasn't been sucking soil before now," Hahn said.

Hahn said a similar structure failed near Coon Valley in the 1970's after it had started sucking soil through a leak.

"There is a fear that this one could fail like that one," Hahn said. "And there are 120 people at risk downstream here. We are legally liable for damage or loss of life if that happens. We don't have enough liability insurance if someone dies."

Hahn has reported to the full county board in the past that the cost of repairs would likely be done under a cost share arrangement with the federal government likely paying for the majority of repairs. Hahn said the county ended up paying for about 17 percent of the repairs to the Klinkner Dam last year. But that may be changing.

"There is no money right now at NCRS to pay the engineers," Hahn said "I am not sure what they are operating on. The federal budget right now suggests zero dollars to do any repairs. There is no money in 2007 to do any work on any dam in any state."

"Leave it as is then," said Supervisor Richard Hansen.

"We are under orders to repair it," Hahn said.

"If there is no money and we have to repair it?" Brueggen asked.

"The county should consider bonding or a referendum," Hahn said. "Regardless that dam has to be repaired within 10 years."

All stories copyright 2003 Vernon County Broadcaster and other attributed sources.