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Ag Pollution Controls Formidable Challenge progress (in pollution <<tntro\), too demanding of lime and are going 10 be behind the eight equipment and still not pro...id~~ bal1." iog all the elements desired for Ifs belien~d that if the stale field preparation. doesn't rontinue working with "H'g a handling problem," farmers and feeders to manage Skau said. "It's an awrullot the problems, the federal gO\'- easier and cheaper to use eroment will o....erride them. chemica! fertilizers. But they nE L'\t'OLVED don't help build up the soil." Dr. Evans made It clear that HIGHER QUALITY the fE'eders must be involved In Water pollution control metb- drawing up regulations. The ods already in practice have 3Jiency'$ handbook on "rules increased chemical fertilizer and guidelines {or waler poilu- consumption in some areas. tion control at Iivl'-5tock confine- When the Metropolitan Denver ment areas" is 10 be a starting Sewage Disposal District plant point. It was prt'pared in coop. began operations, nutrients rei eration with Iivt'stock feeders, moved by It resulted in higher Neil Skau. eXE>cuti\"e secre- quality waler. tary of the Colorado Cattle The water didn't have the nu- l'\,\TIONAL CO\CER:-: L' ~.J . . . . re=ers Assoc13tion, said of the trients from sewage waste. The c~m~'\lS~lOn ha~ oftcn dls- mo\'e. "We knew it was coming Farmers down the South Platte cussed trrl~atlon return n~ws eventually. It's happening In Rh'er Valley found they had to .s. a polhmon sour~e. Be~l~es other states. notably California, ust' more chl'mical fertilizers to lOll they may contain, pe:;tlclde Iowa and Arizona." makt' up for the organic ones~ res,ldues, T~e matter IS one. of By comparison. llowever. Col- formerly obtained in irrigatio le\ eral naUonal con('('ms being d h 839 ttl f--"I IS water that had contained sew- 'edbth .,Maoas cae "",,0 examm ~ e commiSSion and Iowa has"" .6000 f'" plant effluent. and the EnVironmental Prolec. . ""me . 0 ,. t" A n them. each With more than 100 Similar reaction l, antlc!- 10~, ge cy.. ' .... animals. Colorado feeds ahout 2 paled with some feedlot con; All. ....e.re sa}mg, Dr. million head a year. trois. ' Evans said, "IS get your m;m. . . _ , poWcf' and lour organizalions in FIGl,;RES GI\ EN ~~ucers of the state s i1 order. The people who do not Each animal fed excretes m~lI~on sb~p, 3-10,000 ho~s" 2- about ISO poundS of nitrogen ffillhon chIcken!, 2 nullLon, annually, and at normal feedlot turke)'s and .100,000 dairy cattle stocking capacities an acre ~re also subject to water poilu.: produces 20 tons of nitrogl'n in lion control measures. gaseous and S'tllid form a year. However their operallo~ are Skau said a major prnhlem i~ smaller and usually easier to disposal of the manu~. In manage. spring and fall It can be plowed The feedlot control Issue Is on into fields to help replaN! the 25 the rnmmission's Oct. 17 agen. pounds of nitrogen lost per aere doll. The meeting will be at the on irrigated crop land. Colorado Dcpartml'nt of Health. :\1any farmers find the work 1210 E. lith Ave., Denver. Continued from poge 33. 1I00~sande",;ronml'nt.alcen- ter of Colorado Stale Univer. sity, advised the commissivn thllt the feedlot controls are only a beginning. "We're going to have to face th~ situation somehow and In .llorne form and we're going to have to go out to every feedlot in Colorado." Dr. Evan! said. "Economics Is working to force farmers to be bt>Uer Ir. r1Rators. and that inl'lud<'S water quality and sediment con. trois," he said. Scdimt'nt is the largest single water pollutant. Muchof it comes tram cities snd non-farm lands. <686'