Water Conservation

Finding Value in Livestock Wastewater

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:29:08 GMT

Kansas State University researchers are leading an innovative effort to turn livestock wastewater into a reusable resource in a project that helps to conserve the Ogallala Aquifer and strengthen sustainability across the High Plains.

The four-year, $6 million project, led by Prathap Parameswaran, an associate professor in K-State’s Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, brings together engineering, agricultural economics and social science experts from K-State, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Oklahoma State University and Seward County Community College.

At the center of the work is an anaerobic membrane bioreactor that treats wastewater from livestock operations so that it can be reused, while also recovering nutrients and generating biogas for on-farm energy.

“The crux of what we’re doing is about water access,” says Joe Parcell, professor of agricultural economics at K-State. “We’re creating a process to polish and clean water up enough so that it can be reused in the livestock system. At the same time, we’re also pulling in those carbon and nutrient elements to try and add value so it becomes more widely adopted.”

On a recent episode of Agriculture Today, Parcell explains that adding value to wastewater is key to making the technology feasible for producers.

“We’re working on the ability to add value to wastewater,” he says. “When producers see the economic and environmental benefits, they’re more likely to adopt and integrate it into their operations.”

The project aims to reduce freshwater use, manage waste more efficiently, and create new incentives for livestock producers to invest in sustainable technology.

“Part of the adoption equation is where you are at, and how far do you have to pump water now? What are the policies and incentives going to be?” Parcell explains. “We’ve seen incentives to install these types of facilities in the past. What will they look like in the future?”

By capturing nutrients and reusing treated water, livestock operations could improve efficiency, reduce costs and contribute to long-term aquifer protection. Parcell says collaboration between researchers, producers and policymakers will be critical to ensure that conservation practices are practical and economically sound.

“At the end of the day, it’s about finding that balance between sustainability and profitability,” he says. “If we can help producers make decisions that benefit both, we can make a real impact on how water is managed across the region.”

New WOTUS Proposal Could Reduce Red Tape for Farmers and Ranchers

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:01:44 GMT

Farmers and ranchers could soon face fewer regulatory hurdles when working near waterways, as EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers released a new proposal on Nov. 17 to redefine “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The agencies say the proposed rule is designed to bring long-requested clarity to what features fall under federal jurisdiction potentially reducing permitting uncertainty for agriculture, landowners and rural businesses.

The proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register . The public can submit comments online there or via Regulations.gov on or before Jan. 5, 2026. During the announcement event on Nov. 17, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin urged the public to submit comments.

The definition of WOTUS determines when producers must secure permits for projects that could affect surface water quality, including common activities such as building terraces, installing drainage or expanding livestock operations. EPA officials say the new proposal aims to align fully with the Supreme Court’s Sackett decision and prevent farmers from needing lawyers or consultants simply to determine whether a water feature on their land is federally regulated.

The proposal follows Zeldin’s promise in March to launch the biggest deregulatory action in history and a series of listening sessions in April and May that asked states, tribes, industry and agriculture to weigh in on WOTUS needs.

Clearer Definition After Years of Confusion

Zeldin and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle emphasize the rule is designed to be clear, durable and commonsense.

Key elements include:

Defined terms such as relatively permanent, continuous surface connection, and tributary to outline which waters qualify under the Clean Water Act.
A requirement that jurisdictional tributaries must have predictable, consistent flow to traditional navigable waters.
Wetlands protections are limited to wetlands that physically touch and are indistinguishable from regulated waters for a consistent duration each year.
Reaffirmed exclusions important to agriculture, including prior converted cropland, certain ditches and waste treatment systems.
A new exclusion for groundwater.
Locally-familiar terminology, such as “wet season,” to help determine whether water features meet regulatory thresholds.

EPA says these changes are intended to reduce uncertainty that has stemmed from years of shifting definitions across administrations.

Impact of WOTUS Proposal on Agriculture

For producers, the proposal could simplify compliance by narrowing which water features fall under federal oversight and confirming exclusions that many farm groups have long advocated.

Zeldin says the aim is “protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution” while preventing unnecessary burdens on farmers and ranchers. He criticizes past Democratic administrations for broad interpretations that, in his view, extended federal reach to features that did not warrant regulation.

Farm groups have argued for years that unclear or overly broad definitions can lead to significant costs, delays and legal risks when planning conservation work, drainage projects or infrastructure improvements. A more consistent rule could reduce project backlogs and limit case-by-case determinations that often slow progress during planting, construction or livestock expansion.

“We’ve seen WOTUS definitions, guidance and legal arguments change with each administration,” said Garrett Hawkins, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, during the May 1 EPA listening session for agriculture . He adds: “farmers, land owners and small businesses are the ones who suffer the most when we don’t have clear rules.”

Several of those who gave testimony and public comment during the ag listening session argued that farmers and ranchers, who already struggle with unpredictable markets and tight margins, shouldn’t have to hire experts to identify elements of their own land.

“A practical WOTUS definition will allow the average landowner — not an engineer, not an attorney, not a wetland specialist — to walk out on their property, see a water feature and make, at minimum, a preliminary determination about whether a feature is federally jurisdictional,” says Kim Brackett, vice president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who also gave testimony in May.

Alignment With the Sackett Decision

After the Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA ruling , which restricted federal authority over many wetlands, the agencies say the previous WOTUS definition no longer aligned with the law. EPA already issued a memo earlier this year clarifying limits on jurisdiction over adjacent wetlands. The newly proposed rule is the next step in that process.

The proposed rule focuses on relatively permanent bodies of water — streams, rivers, lakes and oceans — and wetlands that are physically connected to those waters. Seasonal and regional variations are incorporated, including waters that flow consistently during the wetter months.

The current situation is a regulatory patchwork. Due to litigation that followed the January 2023 WOTUS rule, which was considered in the Sackett decision, different states are following different rules. Currently, 24 states, mostly the coastal and Great Lakes states, are operating on the 2023 rule, while the other 26 states, mostly those in center and in the Southeast, are operating on pre-2015 WOTUS rule.

Oversight Rests With State and Tribes

A major theme of the proposal is cooperative federalism, giving more authority to states and tribes to manage local land and water resources. EPA says the rule preserves necessary federal protections while recognizing states and tribal governments are best positioned to oversee many smaller or isolated water features.

Sections 101b and 510 of the CWA are key structural examples of the concept of cooperative federalism. The sections give states and tribes the right to set standards and issue permits for federal activities that could discharge pollutants into a water of the U.S. within the state or territory. The most common example of this are 404 dredge and fill permits.

This focus on cooperative federalism was the main chorus of the EPA’s listening session for states , held April 29, especially as it concerns wetlands.

“If more wetlands are excluded from WOTUS, then certain federal projects would not require a section 401 water quality certification by the states,” noted Jennifer Congdon, director of federal affairs for New York Department of Environmental Conservation, during the states’ listening session. She argues that such a situation could impair water quality within a state, thus violating states’ rights under the CWA.

What Happens Next

The proposed rule is available online for public comment on the Federal Register and Regulations.gov on or before Jan. 5, 2026. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers will hold two hybrid public meetings, and details for submitting comments or registering to speak will be available on EPA’s website .

After the comment period, the agencies plan to move quickly toward a final rule.

“Once the rule is finalized, it typically takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register pursuant to Congressional Review Act requirements,” the EPA press office told The Packer earlier this summer .

Based on these potential timelines, a new — potentially final — WOTUS rule could take effect as early as early March.

Water Management System Increases Efficiency

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:20:30 GMT

Rancher Mike Turner manages multiple ranches in the Texas Panhandle, about 45 miles north of Amarillo. The water sources on his ranches are spread out, with the farthest a 32-mile round trip from the headquarters.

Last fall, Turner installed Ranchbot ’s Trough Direct monitors at the far-off ranch to beta test. The system has allowed him to reduce trips to the property from every day to a couple times per week.

Turner says the system was easy to install with a side or top mount to accommodate a variety of trough types.

“Despite the cattle having direct access to the Ranchbot units, I have been pleased with how well the system has held up,” Turner says.

In south Texas, Suzanne Schuchart manages a 5,200-acre cow-calf operation where rainfall is irregular and unreliable. To ensure adequate water, the ranch has 30 pastures, each with a water source, such as a pond or tank, and most are connected by water pipes to supplement with well water as needed.

Like Turner, Schuchart was asked to beta test the Trough Direct system and host a grazing management tour during this year’s CattleCon. The system includes a water level monitor, rain gauge and camera on the main water system, as well as trough monitors and pasture direct monitors in other areas.

Running V Ranch in Jourdanton, Texas, uses a water monitoring system, which alleviates the time and distance it takes to check pastures.

(Ranchbot/Suzanne Schuchart)

“It’s very convenient,” she says about the system. “The app is easy to use, and I like that it’s real-time reporting. When my husband used to ask, ‘Did you check the cistern level when you went down there?’ I used to have to go back and check and climb up on this ladder to make sure the float was not messed up. Now I can just look at the app and tell what level it is.”

Schuchart says she appreciates the monitors are easy to install and can be moved between pastures as cattle are rotated.

“The [Ranchbot system] alleviates a lot of worry about water because the minute you walk away, something can go wrong,” she adds.

Read more: Reduce Water Worry