Technical assistance was then provided to owners who were not in compliance with regulations. Potential violations include illegal discharge pipes, overflow discharges, high vegetation around lagoons, runoff from animal housing, improper dead animal disposal, and no permits. NRCS conservationists worked with landowners to develop and implement conservation plans and the Cooperative Extension Service provided a full-time water quality specialist to work with landowners to implement BMPs. The Consolidated Farm Service Agency provided funding for cost-share assistance. Ongoing efforts Phase two of the project concentrates on confined animal operations in the watershed.
Farmers can rent the lagoon pump-out equipment for a very nominal fee.
Farmers in the project area have access to a mobile nutrient testing service, which helps them calculate the right amount of manure to apply to their fields and pastures, and additional computerized information to help them make prudent decisions about pesticide selection and management. Since implementation of the project in 1990, nonpoint source pollution from agricultural activities has lessened, thus improving water quality in the watershed. The farm community's interest in the project is widespread. The Department of Health and Environmental Control maintains an ambient water quality monitoring station in the headwaters of Lake Murray that receives the flow from the Bush River Camping Creek watershed. These decreases could be attributed to reductions in the amounts of nutrients reaching the waterbody from nonpoint sources.