What is the Agriculture Water Quality Act?
The Kentucky General Assembly passed the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act in 1994 (KRS. 224.71-100 through 224.71-140). The goal of the act is to protect surface and groundwater resources from pollution as a result of agriculture and silviculture (forestry) activities.
Whom does the Agriculture Water Quality Act affect?
The Agriculture Water Quality Act requires all landowners with 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. It is the sole responsibility of each of these landowners to develop and implement a water quality plan for their individual operations.
How are agriculture and silviculture operations defined under the Agriculture Water Quality Act?
"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 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" means, generally, that part of forestry that involves growing and harvesting of trees. Kentucky's Forestry Practices Guide for Water Quality Management is the reference document for forestry operations in Kentucky. It is designed for technical service providers and includes BMPs as required by the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act.
What is the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan?
The Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan is basically a compilation of best management practices from six different areas - silviculture, pesticides and fertilizers, farmstead, crops, livestock, 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. The statewide plan serves as the guide to individual landowners/land users as they develop water quality plans for their individual operations.
What is the process for developing and implementing an individual water quality plan?
All individual landowners must develop and fully implement applicable requirements of the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan. Technical assistance and cost-share funding is provided through local conservation district offices with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cooperative Extension Service and others, to landowners in developing and implementing site-specific plans. This Web site also contains an online tool (BMP Generator) to be used by landowners to assess their operation and identify best management practices to be included in their individual plan. This BMP Generator was developed by Curt Judy, Todd County extension agent for Ag. and Natural Resources. Copyright 2000 University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. All rights reserved. This version for the World Wide Web was developed from Curt Judy's original work by Agriculture Data Center of the University of Kentucky. This program may be used by any individual who is required to complete a Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan or by an employee of a governmental agency (such as a Kentucky cooperative extension office or a local Kentucky conservation district) that may provide assistance to landowners and/or farm operators in developing Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plans.
Click here to develop your individual water quality plan.
After identifying the best management practices, landowners/land users implement these practices on their land. Assistance to implement the plan can be provided through local conservation district offices with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and a variety of technical agencies.
To certify that you have completed an Agriculture Water Quality Plan for your agriculture or silviculture operation, you may want to go to Agriculture Water Quality Plan Self Certification. Download, print and complete the certification form and turn it in to your local conservation district office. If you need help with your plan or the certification form, your conservation district will be glad to help.
E-mail questions or comments to Steve Coleman or Curtis Kirk at the Kentucky Division of Conservation.
Significant progress is being made toward the development and implementation of individual agriculture water quality plans across the state. The Division of Conservation, on behalf of the Agriculture Water Quality Authority, is tracking this progress through the 121 conservation districts.
This Agriculture Water Quality Certification Map of Kentucky counties reports the number of certifications reported by conservation districts through Feb. 28, 2008.
ENRI (Environmental and Natural Resources Issues) - Task force information about nutrient management plans may be found at this University of Kentucky site.
