An animal feeding operation containment pond
Containment ponds are constructed at the base of a feedlot’s slope and designed to collect and contain nutrient-loaded runoff (Figure 1). Ponds are designed to hold water for at least 270 days, plus the 24-hour, 25-year rain event with an additional foot of freeboard (North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, 2018).
Containment pond effluent levels are designed to be reduced through evaporation. However, during wet years, precipitation can be greater than evaporation. This leads to a situation in which pond drawdown is required before it overflows.
Monitoring pond levels and land-applying effluent before a pond is full prevents the containment pond from overfilling. Irrigation systems such as a traveling gun (Figure 2) or a moveable sprinkler system (Figure 3) work well to apply containment pond effluent.
Containment pond management needs to be a proactive measure taken before an issue develops. A full containment pond may discharge its water, causing polluted water to enter a downslope water body. A discharge event may erode pond banks and require extensive and expensive dirt work to repair.
Routinely check the containment pond, water diversions and other earthen structures for structural soundness and any signs of erosional damage or seepage. Also, record containment pond levels. For more information on containment pond depth markers, consult the NDSU Extension publication “Liquid Level or Depth Marker for Earthen Runoff Ponds,” NM1514.
If a discharge occurs, you must call the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality at 701-328-5210 during normal working hours or the Division of Emergency Services at 800-773-3259 during non-working hours (including weekends and holidays) within 24 hours of the discharge.
For more information on containment pond discharge management, consult the NDSU Extension publication “Manure Spills: What You Need to Know and Environmental Consequences,” NM1555.
Applying pond effluent on soil is more than spraying water on land. Consider soil infiltration rates and crop nutrient requirements when land-applying containment pond effluent. Section 7.6.3 of the North Dakota Livestock Program Design Manual (North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, 2018) states, “When irrigating with manure or process wastewater, the application rate shall not exceed the estimated soil infiltration rate, or the nutrient requirements of the crop. Irrigation application rates shall be adjusted to avoid significant ponding of manure or process waste water in surface depressions or seasonal drainage ways.”