Fayette County
Soil Conservation District
Agriculture Water Quality Plans
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 ten 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 ten (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, and 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 website also contains
an on-line 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 (ANR). 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
Fayette County Conservation District. If you need help with your plan or the
certification form, your conservation district will be glad to help.