Current Monitoring
Nitrate/ Nitrogen Runoff
This monitoring was conducted in conjunction with the intensive grazing project on pasture
field runoff water, not tributary water. The purpose was to measure nitrate levels from runoff
water at the cattle grazing project. The water samples were taken May through June of 1995.
The water testing was accomplished using the Quick Test method with a Cardy Nitrate Meter.
Two plastic barrels labeled below as barrel 1 and barrel 2 were placed in the grazing project
area to catch surface water for testing. One barrel labeled as barrel 3 was placed outside the
project on some adjacent CRP ground and was used as the control measurement. There needed to
be at least a one-inch rain before samples could be gathered.
Ohio EPA must notify the area residents when drinking water nitrate/nitrogen levels are greater
than 10 ppm (parts per million). The safe water quality standard for livestock is 100
ppm.
1995 Nitrate Nitrogen Runoff Water Testing at
Indian Lake Watershed Intensive Grazing Project
| Date | Barrel 1
(ppm) | Barrel 2 (ppm) | Barrel 3
(ppm) Control |
|---|
| May 26 | 22 | 2 | 3 |
| May 31 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| June 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| June 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| June 22 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| June 30 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Results
* On May 22, 78 pounds of actual nitrogen were applied to field section A (barrel 1) and 40
pounds of actual nitrogen was applied to section B (barrel 2). A substantial rain (greater
than one inch) occurred on May 23 and sampling was done on May 26. Surface run-off samples
were only collected if there was a one-inch or greater rainfall because it took this much to
get any runoff to the barrels. Other than the high reading on May 26, due to heavy rain
immediately after a nitrogen application, the monitoring revealed nitrate levels were well
below the 10 ppm limit. As part of the intensive grazing project, soil nitrate analyses was
conducted in July after completing all nitrogen applications to the forage to evaluate the
nitrogen previously applied and potential nitrogen utilization. Soil nitrate nitrogen results
overall averaged 2.5 ppm, considered to be low soil nitrate levels.
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