17 Manure Pits In MN Overflow Due To Historic Flooding

MINNESOTA — At least 17 liquid manure storage pits have overflowed onto 15 cattle feedlots due to this season's historic flooding, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency told Patch Tuesday.

The pits are located in Nobles, Rock, and Jackson counties.

The storage areas hold highly diluted manure collected from stormwater runoff from the feedlots, officials said. The manure becomes further diluted once combined with the high volume of floodwaters, authorities noted.

MPCA agents are working with feedlot owners experiencing rising floodwaters that threaten liquid manure storage areas.

"Historic rainfalls can cause issues for manure management systems that are not designed to handle extreme amounts of rainfall, and we are providing advice on actions they can take to avoid an overflow or lessen the impacts should one occur," the agency said.