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WUD seeks dairies to participate in seepage project

November 16, 2010 –
Western United Dairymen is looking for a handful of dairies to participate in
its project to demonstrate a water balance approach to perform seepage
measurements from dairy manure storage ponds.
November 16, 2010 –
Western United Dairymen is looking for a handful of dairies to participate in
its project to demonstrate a water balance approach to perform seepage
measurements from dairy manure storage ponds.

The project seeks to
demonstrate a practical, cost-effective methodology for determining if and at
what rate lagoon seepage may be occurring. Five Central Valley dairies are
needed this winter for technology demonstrations, which will entail stopping
inflow to and outflow from their lagoons for a period of about 12 hours
overnight during which time the engineering team will track micro measurements
of climate and lagoon levels.

“This project will
demonstrate technology anticipated to help dairy producers find a more
economical method to determine whether or not lagoons are leaking and if so the
seepage rates,” explained Paul Martin, WUD’s director of environmental
services.

While the project has the
goal of assisting Central Valley dairies dealing with issues of groundwater
nitrate levels as required by the WDR, the technology could be useful for
dairies in other regions as well. The identities of participating dairies and
producers will be kept confidential, however, participating producers will be
informed of results of data collection on their lagoons.

WUD is partnering on the
project with UC Davis, Dairy Cares, and Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting
Engineers. Producers interested in participating in this project are asked to
contact their WUD field representatives or call the WUD office at 209-527-6453.