Analysis of Runoff from Southern Great Plains Feedlots

R. N. Clark, A. D. Schneider, B. A. Stewart

MEMBER ASAE MEMBER ASAE

to a playa lake (Fig. 1). The shaded portion of Fig. 1 indicates the pen area that was instrumented for runoff measurements. The upper (east) end is almost flat and the lower (west) end has a slope of 3 percent. The average slope for the entire area is about 1.5 percent. Feedbunks on the north and south sides and a road across the upslope east end prevent water from flowing on or off three sides of the area. An H-flume for measuring the rate of runoff and an automatic runoff sampler were installed west of the pen DESCRIPTION OF area. Runoff samples were collected RESEARCH SITE periodically for chemical and susIn 1970, a research study was begun pended solids analyses. The instruto determine the amount and compo- mented part of the lot covers sition of feedlot runoff in the Southern approximately 4 hectares and is Great Plains. For this study, a 20 000head capacity feedlot was selected near Bushland, Texas. The feedlot was constructed on virgin sod adjacent
R = 0 83

decade. The Southern Great Plains has experienced tremendous growth in cattle feeding during this period. The number of cattle fed has increased from about 1 million in 1965 to 5.3 million in 1974. Almost all of these cattle are fed in lots larger than 1 000-head capacity. Also, during this decade, water quality control regulations have been established requiring the impoundment of all runoff and waste water from these feedlots. Two types of runoff catchment basins are used in the Southern Great Plains, which meet the zero discharge requirements of water control agencies. One is a natural-occurring, wetweather lake called a playa. These lakes are shallow, flat bottom, saucerlike basins that collect runoff during periods of wet weather and have no drainage outlet. The bottoms contain a dense, low permeability clay. Runoff can be disposed from playas by evaporation or dewatering. The other type of catchment is a manmade holding pond generally excavated downslope from the feedlot. Most holding ponds require dewatering to dispose of runoff.

has C ONFINED beef cattle feeding last greatly increased during the

FIG. 1 Cattle feedyard and the playa that impounds the runoff. Contours are meters above mean sea level.

normally stocked with about 3 000 cattle. RAINFALL-RUNOFF RELATIONSHIPS Rainfall has been near normal for two of the three years that runoff has been measured. Rainfall totaled 460, 453, and 374 mm during 1971, 1972, and 1973, respectively. Runoff totaled 94, 52, and 20 mm, respectively, for the same periods. Fig. 2 shows the runoff measured from runoff-producing storms. In general, rainstorms less than 10 mm did not produce runoff. The regression analysis of these data shows a linear relationship between rainfall and runoff. The regression coefficient indicates that about one-

RUNOFF = 0 . 3 6 5 RAINFALL -

3.64

Article was submitted for publication in September 1974; reviewed and approved for publication by the Structures and Environment Division of ASAE in March 1975. Presented as ASAE Paper No. 74-4017. Contribution from the Soil, Water, and Air Sciences, Southern Region, ARS, USDA, in cooperation with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University. The authors are: R. N. CLARK and A. D. SCHNEIDER, Agricultural Engineers, and B. A. STEWART, Soil Scientist, Southwestern Great Plains Research Center, ARS, USDA, Bushland, Texas. 1975TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE

10

20

30

40

50 mm

60

70

80

RAINFALL

FIG. 2 Rainfall-runoff relationship for a cattle feedlot at Bushland, Texas. 319

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FIG. 3 Rainfall-runoff relationship for cattle feedlots at several locations.

third of the rainfall ends up as runoff, when the rainfall exceeds 10 mm. Two large storms had similar rainfall totals but had different runoff amounts. Storm A (Fig. 2) occurred after a 4-month-long dry period, and the lot was dry and packed. It had a duration of about 6 hr. Storm B (Fig. 2) had a duration of about 24 hr and occurred after a relatively wet period. Observations have shown that less runoff occurs when previous rainfall has wet the lot surface. The wet surface is roughed by the animals and numerous depressions for surface storage are created; whereas a dry lot is packed smooth and has little surface storage. The maximum 24-hr rainfall received during the study period was 63 mm, and there were five times when more than 50 mm of rainfall were observed. During the 35 yr of rainfall records at Bushland, more than 50 mm of rainfall have been observed only 30 times. Therefore, these data should represent the expected rainfall over a 10- or 15-yr design period. In Fig. 3, the linear regression curve for Bushland is compared with regression curves for Pratt, Kansas (Manges et al. 1971); Mead, Nebraska (Giltertson et al. 1972); Gretna, Nebraska (Swanson et al. 1971); and Bellville, Texas (Wise and Reddell 1973). The amount of runoff from Bushland was significantly less than for any other location. Bushland has the lowest rainfall and highest evaporation rate of any location shown. Consequently, the feedpen surface is generally drier than for lots in other areas and capable of absorbing more water. Feedlots in the Southern Great Plains are generally stocked at a higher density than lots in areas of higher rainfall and lower evaporation.
320

A feedlot with a high animal density usually has a thicker manure pack to absorb water. As the lot becomes wet, the animals move around and the hoof depressions in the manure pack hold a large percentage of the rainfall on the lot long enough for it to be absorbed or evaporated. CHEMICAL COMPOSITON OF RUNOFF The automatic sampler collected water samples as the runoff was discharged from the H-flume. Each sample was stirred in a blender and subsampled for analysis. Regardless of the chemical, the concentration varied erratically from one sample to the next. This variation occurred both within storms and between storms. For this reason, histograms of the water quality data are shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 and are listed as Bushland runoff. The histograms show the
BUSHLAND Percent of ) c 0-50 51 - 1 0 0 101-300 301-600 601-1000 >I000
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relative frequency of the sample concentrations, and the mean value is listed for each chemical concentration or parameter. Generally, the Bushland runoff had a higher concentration of salts and solids than runoff from Nebraska, Kansas, and East Texas. Several factors account for this higher concentration. The layout of the pens and feedbunks created long, narrow, drainage areas; consequently, much of the runoff traveled considerable lengths over the feedlot and had time to dissolve soluble compounds. Another factor is the high stocking rates used in the area. The lots in the Southern Great Plains have about one animal for every 11 m2. The lower rainfall and greater evaporation concentrates more salt in the manure pack, which in turn makes for a more concentrated runoff. As a comparison to the Bushland runoff data, runoff holding facilities at 36 feedlots in the Southern Great Plains were sampled in August and September 1973. The chemical data for these samples are shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 5 and separated into holding ponds and playas. These data were also quite variable, but overall concentrations were one-third to one-half the concentrations measured as fresh runoff during a rainstorm. The main difference between the two sets of data appears to be the solids contained in the samples. The fresh runoff samples contained an average of 15 000 ppm solids which were broken up in a blender before the samples were analyzed. The survey
PONDS AREA PLAYAS P e r c e n t of samples 25 50 75 100 0
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RUNOFF samples, 75
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FIG. 4 Concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus found in fresh feedlot runoff, Bushland; area feedlot holding ponds; and area playas. TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE1975

illustrates the potential hazard of irrigating with highly saline feedyard runoff (United States Salinity LaboraIE 0 - 5 0 , , -, 1 ' ' n tory Staff 1954, page 43). The X*588 o51-100 i 1 ' feedyard runoff will generally be used 2 101-300 I on feed grains or small grains where | 301-600 * 54 O 601-1000 the electrical conductivity of the soil >I000 saturation extract should not exceed 8 1 mmhos/cm. At Amarillo, Texas, the E i i i i 1 i i n average consumptive use of water for 0-50 r x449 these crops is about 700 mm per * 51-100 i i | 101-300 1 growing season. Assume that the __i - 3 0 1 - 6 0 0 i | - 55 99 consumptive use is furnished by 200 2 601-1000 J mm of rainfall, 400 mm of ground >i000 water, and 100 mm of feedyard runoff E with electrical conductivities of 0, 0.5, 1 1 T 1 | \ I I ""1 l 0-50 '1 ' and 5.0 mmhos/cm, respectively. This 2* 51-100 1 commonly used leaching equation jj | 101-300 1 _l indicates that 100 mm of deep w 301-600 1-72 [ 1-30 199 percolation per year would be required 3 601-1000 i xooo to maintain the salt balance. On the fine-textured soils of the Southern FIG. 5 Concentrations of sodium, calcium, and magnesium found in fresh feedlot runoff, High Plains that are furrow irrigated, Bushland; area feedlot holding ponds; and area play as. deep percolation is normally less than samples contained only small amounts necessary. Data in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 100 mm (Aronovici and Schneider of solids, because samples were indicate that straight feedlot runoff 1972). For this reason the maximum collected after settling. This would has an extreme salinity hazard when application of undiluted feedyard indicate that the removal of solids and used as irrigation water, since the runoff should not exceed 100 mm per the adhering chemical pollutants electrical conductivity is generally year or one irrigation per year. These values can be used only as could improve the quality of the water above 3 mmhos/cm. Water used for irrigation generally should examples because of the great variaby a factor of two. exceed 2 mmhos/cm bility in feedlot runoff. Before runoff Normally, when a feedlot is adja- not (United States Salinity Laboratory is used as irrigation, water samples cent to a playa, the feedlot runoff is diluted by runoff from the remainder Staff 1954). The Sodium Adsorption should be analyzed to determine the of the playa watershed. Holding ponds Ratios (SAR) indicate that most average concentration of salts. The collect almost no outside runoff water; holding pond water has a low or salt tolerance of grasses and crops thus, contain considerably higher medium sodium hazard; therefore, varies considerably; therefore, the concentration of salts. For example, total salts are a more serious problem salinity hazard level of the water, crop, and soil should each be the mean electrical conductivity was than sodium. A sample calculation with the considered before irrigating with 1.0 and 4.5 mmhos/cm for the play as leaching equation developed by the feedlot runoff. Ground water used for and the holding ponds, respectively. United States Salinity Laboratory irrigation in the Southern High Plains
BUSHLAND RUNOFF Percent of samples 0 25 50 75 100 AREA HOLDING PONDS Percent of t a m p l t t 0 25 5 0 75 100 AREA PLAYAS P t r c t n f of t a m p l t t 25 50 75 100 C)

DISPOSAL OF FEEDLOT RUNOFF

Playa Lakes
0-50

BUSHLAND RUNOFF Percent of samples 25 50 75 100 x 1 7 2 9

AREA HOLDING

PONDS

AREA

PLAYAS

Percent of samples 0 25 50 75 100

Percent of samples D 25 5 0 7 5 10

The use of playa lakes as feedlot 5I-I00| 101-300 runoff retention basins offers several O 30I-600R advantages. The play as are natural X 601-lOOOM basins without drainage outlets and >I000 require no construction cost. Probably, the best advantage from a 0-1 disposal standpoint is the natural 6 1-2 dilution. Normally a feedlot will 2 2-4 comprise less than 20 percent of the O 4-6 total drainage area of the playa, thus, S I 6-10 providing considerably dilution of the Z -otzr feedlot runoff. The water in most O o playas can be used for irrigation 0-1 without harmful salinity effects. 1-2
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When irrigating from a holding pond where the drainage area is restricted to the feedlot, dilution with other water will almost always be
1975TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE

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I-I.4

FIG. 6 Concentration of chloride and values of conductance and SAR found in fresh feedlot runoff, Bushland; area feedlot holding ponds; and area playas.
321

normally has a low or medium salinity hazard. A mixture of five parts well water and one part runoff from the Bushland feedlot would have a medium salinity hazard. A 5 to 1 dilution ratio will reduce the salinity hazard for most holding pond water in the Southern High Plains. Feedlot runoff will normally have little value as a fertilizer source. Although fresh runoff contains significant amounts of total nitrogen (N), much of it is lost before it can benefit crop growth. Most N in runoff is in the organic form. In the holding ponds and playas, the organic N is mineralized to NH4, which is converted to NH 3 to maintain the NH 3 :NH^ equilibrium. After conversion, the NH 3 is volatilized. Under the anaerobic condition in the playa and holding ponds, NO] is quickly denitrified, and the N is lost as N 2 gas. Irrigation experiments by Swanson and Ellis (1973) showed that only about 5 percent of the N leaving a feedlot can be measured in the irrigated crop or soil. To obtain the most efficient use of the initial N, the feedlot runoff should be used for irrigation as quickly as possible. Feedlot runoff does contain sufficient potassium (K) to benefit soils which lack this fertilizer element; however, most soils of the Southern High Plains already have sufficient K for high crop yields.

Large amounts of runoff must be used before enough phosphorus (P) could be added to be beneficial. Generally, the harmful effects of salinity and sodium (Na) will overshadow the beneficial effects from N, K., or P. SUMMARY Runoff amounts and chemical quality have been measured from a Southern Great Plains cattle feedlot at Bushland, Texas. The rainfall-runoff relationship for runoff-producing storms was linear, with about onethird of the rainfall in excess of 10 mm ending up as runoff. Other researchers in the Great Plains obtained similar results except that the amount of rainfall ending up as runoff was lower at Bushland. Concentrations of various runoff constituents were higher than those found for cattle feedlots elsewhere. Low rainfall, high evaporation rates, and high stocking rates cause the manure pack in the feedlots to contain more salts, thus allowing increased concentrations in runoff. A dilution ratio of about five parts well water to one part feedlot runoff would reduce the salinity hazard for irrigation from very high to medium for most holding ponds in the Southern Great Plains. Runoff caught in playas where the area of the feedlot

is one-fifth or less of the total watershed area could be considered as having a low or medium salinity hazard. Any use of feedlot runoff for irrigation requires close watch on salts in the water and soil.
References 1 Aronovici, V. S., and A. D. Schneider. 1972. Deep percolation through Pullman soil in the Southern High Plains. Jour, of Soil and Water Conserv. 27:70-73. 2 Gilbertson, C. B., J. A. Nienaber, T. M. McCalla, J. R. Ellis, and W. R. Woods. 1972. Beef cattle feedlot runoff, solids transport, and settling characteristics. TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE 15:1132-1134. 3 Manges, H. L., L. A. Schmid, and L. S. Murphy. 1971. Land disposal of cattle feedlot water. In Livestock Waste Management and Pollution Abatement, Proc. Internatl. Symp. on Livestock Waste, ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. 4 Swanson, N. P., L. N. Mielke, J. C. Lorimor, T. M. McCalla, and J. R. Ellis. 1971. Transport of pollutants from sloping cattle feedlots as affected by rainfall intensity, duration, and recurrence. In Livestock Waste Management and Pollution Abatement, Proc. Internatl. Symp. on Livestock Waste, ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. 5 Swanson, N. P., and J. R. Ellis. 1973. Irrigation of perennial forage crops with feedlot runoff. ASAE Paper No. 73-241, ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. 6 United States Salinity Laboratory Staff. 1954. Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils. Agr. Handbook No. 60. 7 Wise, G., and D. L. Reddell. 1973. Water quality of storm runoff from a Texas beef feedlot. ASAE Paper No. 73-441. ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085.

Beef Cattle Wastes in Oxidation Ditch

(Continued from page 318)

TABLE 5. AVERAGE DITCH TEMPERATURE AND FLOW RATE Winter Average temperature, C 2.4 Temperature range, C -1.7-12.8 Average surface velocity, m/sec 0.46 Range of surface velocity, m/sec 0.24-0.70 Summer 17.6 4.4-27.8 0.49 0.34-0.70

and 3 2 . 0 p e r c e n t for the winter a n d s u m m e r tests were o b t a i n e d , respectively, assuming d r y - m a t t e r waste p r o d u c t i o n per h e a d t o b e 2.3 kg. T o t a l solids-reduction values o f 28.1 a n d 2 7 . 2 p e r c e n t were o b t a i n e d for t h e w i n t e r a n d s u m m e r tests, respectively, using t h e p a r t i t i o n i n g o f energy t o estimate waste p r o d u c t i o n .

m e t h o d , t h e energy in t h e feedstuffs c o n s u m e d b y t h e cattle was p a r t i t i o n e d i n t o a fecal a n d u r i n a r y c o m p o n e n t . It was t h e n assumed t h a t t h e energy in t h e feces a n d urine was related t o t o t a l energy i n t a k e in t h e same m a n n e r as fecal and urinary dry m a t t e r was related t o dry-matter intake. T o t a l solids-reduction values of 3 2 . 6

References 1 Albin, R. J., J. Wunstad, D. Zenn, D. Wells, W. G r u b , E. Coleman, and G. Meenaghan. 1971. Cattle performance in southwestern feedlots. J. Anim. Sci. 33:206 (Abstr.). 2 Blaxter, K. L. 1961. The utilization of energy of food by ruminants. Symposium on Energy Metabolism, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2:213. 3 Hegg, R. O., and R. E. Larson. 1972. Solids balance on a beef cattle oxidation ditch. Proceedings of the 1972 Cornell Agric u l t u r a l Waste Management Conference

1972:555. 4 Jones, D. D., D. L. Day, and U. S. Garrigus. 1971. Oxidation ditch in a confinement beef building. TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE 14:825. 5 Larson, R. E., and J. A. Moore, 1971. Beef wastes and the oxidation ditch today and tomorrow. Livestock Waste Management and Pollution Abatement. ASAE Proceedings of the International Symposium on Livestock Wastes 1971:217, ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. 6 Loehr, R. C. 1971. Liquid waste treatment III the oxidation ditch. Cornell University Conference on Agricultural Waste Management 1971:72. 7 Moore, J. A., R. E. Larson, R. O. Hegg, and E. R. Allred. 1970. Beef confinement systemsoxidation ditch. ASAE Paper No. 70-418, ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. 8 National Academy of Sciences. Subcommittee on Feed Composition, National Research Council, United States, and Committee on Feed Composition, Department of Agriculture, Canada. 1971. Atlas of nutritional data on United States and Canada feeds. Washington, D.C. 9 Tyrrell, H. F., and P. W. Moe. 1972. Net energy value for lactation of a high and low concentrate ration containing corn silage. J. Dairy Sci. 55:1106.

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TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE1975