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The idea of banning liquid manure spreading on fields during times when the ground is least able to absorb it is a sensible way to protect waterways from pollution.

This is just one of the rules the Department of Natural Resources Board approved last week at a meeting in Elkhart Lake to guard against fish kills and contaminated groundwater. These new regulations will apply to only the largest of the estimated 30,000 farms with livestock in the state.

Lawmakers must still approve the full slate of rules, and although changes are likely, the goal of greater protection from farm runoff should not be watered down. The ban on spreading liquid manure applies to the months of February and March when the ground is usually frozen and manure easily can find its way into nearby streams or rivers. Once in the water, the manure chokes off oxygen and kills fish. We've seen this happen already on Fisher Creek in Manitowoc County.

Liquid manure can also get into the groundwater and pollute nearby wells, a concern since farms and residential development are growing closer together.

Another of the rules would prohibit spreading of liquid manure at times of heavy rain when the likelihood of runoff is greater. This might be difficult for the farm operator, since weather forecasting isn't an exact science, as anyone who's planned a picnic can attest. However, the goal of the regulation is to take precautions before the manure is spread.

Rules will also call for buffers from streams and would require farming operations to have storage capacity for up to six months of manure so winter spreading can be avoided.

A key component of the regulations is the development of an emergency response plan in the event of a spill. We have response plans for industrial accidents to keep pollution damage to a minimum and the same should be applied to farm situations.

Wisconsin's long and rich agriculture heritage should not be adversely affected by these rules, which are common-sense approaches to prevent serious problems. When properly applied and in regulated amounts, liquid manure can be a great natural fertilizer.

The rules will take effect in 2010, giving those farms affected ample time to meet them. But without stronger rules, the effect of runoff pollution can be devastating.

With the number of mega-farms — those with more than 700 cows, 2,500 pigs or 55,000 turkeys — growing in Wisconsin and producing millions of gallons of liquid manure, sane and sensible ways to control how it is disposed must be adopted. Of the 52 manure spills recorded by the DNR in the winter of 2004-05, nine of them came from mega-farms.

The rules proposed by the DNR will ensure protection of streams, rivers and groundwater.