Glossary of CAFO, LMFA and NRCS Terms
100-year, 24-hour rainfall event / Mean precipitation event with a probable recurrence interval of once in one hundred years, as defined by the National Weather Service in Technical Paper No. 40, “Rainfall Frequency Atlas of the United States,” May, 1961, or equivalent regional or State rainfall probability information developed from this source.25-year, 24-hour rainfall event / Mean precipitation event with a probable recurrence interval of once in twenty-five years, as defined by the National Weather Service in Technical Paper No. 40, “Rainfall Frequency Atlas of the United States,” May, 1961, or equivalent regional or State rainfall probability information developed from this source.
303(d) water body / Under section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters. These impaired waters do not meet water quality standards that states, territories, and authorized tribes have set for them. The law requires that these jurisdictions establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop TMDLs for these waters.
Aboveground storage tank / Aboveground storage tanks are used as an alternative to underbuilding pit storage and earthen basins. Current assembly practices for aboveground storage facilities are primarily circular silo types and round concrete designs, but the structures may also be rectangular. Such tanks are suitable for operations handling slurry (semisolid) or liquid manure; this generally excludes open-lot waste which is inconsistent in composition and has a higher percentage of solids. Below and aboveground storage tanks are appropriate in situations where the production site has karst terrain, space constraints, or aesthetics issues associated with earthen basins. Storing manure in prefabricated or formed storage tanks is especially advantageous on sites with porous soils or fragmented bedrock. Such locations may be unfit for earthen basins and lagoons because seepage and ground water contamination may occur.
Acre / 1 acre=43,560 sq. ft. =0.405 hectares; or 640 acres=1 sq. mile (called a section).
Acre-foot / The volume of water that would cover one acre of land (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot, equivalent to 325,851 gallons of water.
Aeration / A process causing intimate contact between air and a liquid by one or more of the following methods: (a) spraying the liquid in the air, (b) bubbling air through the liquid, and (c) agitating the liquid to promote absorption of oxygen through the air liquid interface.
Aeration, soil / The exchange of air in soil with air from the atmosphere. The air in a well aerated soil is similar to that in the atmosphere; the air in a poorly aerated soil is considerably higher in carbon dioxide and lower in oxygen.
Aerobic / Living, active, or occurring only in the presence of free oxygen.
Aerobic bacteria / Bacteria that require free elemental oxygen for their growth. Oxygen in chemical combination will not support aerobic organisms.
Agency. / Agency means the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Agricultural waste management system / A combination of conservation practices formulated to appropriately manage a waste product that, when implemented, will recycle waste constituents to the fullest extent possible and protect the resource base in a nonpolluting manner.
Agricultural wastes / Wastes normally associated with the production and processing of food and fiber on farms, feedlots, ranches, ranges, and forests which may include animal manure, crop and food processing residues, agricultural chemicals, and animal carcasses.
Agronomy / The science of crop production and soil management.
Air Quality Standards / Federal and state government-prescribed levels of a pollutant in the outside air that cannot be exceeded during a specified period of time in a specified geographical area.
Ammonia nitrogen / The nitrogen component of the gas (NH3) released by the microbiological decay of plant and animal proteins. (The term sometimes refers to the total of NH3 and the ammonium ion, NH4+)
Ammonia volatilization / The loss of ammonia gas to the atmosphere.
Ammonium / An ion (NH4+) derived from ammonia (NH3).
Anaerobic / The absence of molecular oxygen, or growing in the absence of oxygen, such as anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic (anoxic) / In the absence of oxygen.
Anaerobic bacteria / Bacteria not requiring the presence of free or dissolved oxygen.
Anaerobic digester / A heated, air-tight apparatus that facilitates anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion / A biological process that occurs in the absence of oxygen. In very large animal production operation, it is sometimes used to produce biogas (a low energy gas which is a combination of methane and carbon dioxide) from the biodegradable organic portion of manure. This gas can be used as an energy source. After anaerobic digestion, the remaining semi-solid (which is relatively odor free but still contains most of its nutrients) can be used as a fertilizer.
Anaerobic lagoon / A facility to treat animal waste by predominantly anaerobic biological action using anaerobic organisms, in the absence of oxygen, for the purpose of reducing the strength of the waste.
Ancillary practice / A treatment or conservation practice used to meet a specific need in planning and carrying out soil and water conservation programs.
Animal feeding operation / Animal feeding operation means a feeding operation as defined in the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and the rules promulgated under that Act concerning agriculture related pollution. [510 ILCS 77/10.7]
Animal unit / “Animal unit" means a unit of measurement for any animal feeding operation calculated as follows: “Animal unit" means a unit of measurement for any animal feeding operation calculated as follows:
(1) Brood cows and slaughter and feeder cattle multiplied by 1.0.
(2) Milking dairy cows multiplied by 1.4.
(3) Young dairy stock multiplied by 0.6.
(4) Swine weighing over 55 pounds multiplied by 0.4.
(5) Swine weighing under 55 pounds multiplied by 0.03.
(6) Sheep, lambs, or goats multiplied by 0.1.
(7) Horses multiplied by 2.0.
(8) Turkeys multiplied by 0.02.
(9) Laying hens or broilers multiplied by 0.01 (if the facility has continuous overflow watering).
(10) Laying hens or broilers multiplied by 0.03 (if the facility has a liquid manure handling system).
(11) Ducks multiplied by 0.02. For species of animals in an animal feeding operation not specifically listed in this definition, the animal unit factor shall be determined by dividing the average mature animal weight by 1,000. The average mature animal weight s
Aquifer material / “Aquifer material” means sandstone that is five feet or more in thickness, or fractured carbonate that is ten feet or more in thickness; or, sand, gravel, or sand and gravel, as defined in this Section, such that there is at least two feet present within any five foot section of a soil boring performed in accordance with Subpart B or Subpart C of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 506.
Aquitard / A geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation through which virtually no water moves.
Artesian well / A well deriving its water from a confined aquifer in which the water level stands above the ground surface; synonymous with flowing well.
Available nitrogen / Form of nitrogen that is immediately available for plant growth –(NO3 or NH4+)
Available nutrient / A nutrient molecule that can be adsorbed and assimilated by growing plants.
Available phosphorus / Forms of phosphorus that can be immediately used for plant growth.
Available water capacity (available moisture capacity) / The capacity of soils to hold water available for use by most plants. It is commonly defined as the difference between the amount of soil water at field capacity and the amount at wilting point. It is commonly expressed as inches of water per inch of soil. The capacity, in inches, in a 60-inch profile is expressed as:
• Very low 0 to 3 inches
• Low 3 to 6 inches
• Moderate 6 to 9 inches
• High 9 to 12 inches
• Very high > 12 inches
Backgrounding / Growing program for feeder cattle from time calves are weaned until they are on a finishing ration in the feedlot.
Bacteria / A group of universally distributed, rigid, essentially unicellular procaryotic micro-organisms. Bacteria usually appear as spheroid, rod-like or curved entities, but occasionally appear as sheets, chains, or branched filaments.
Baseflow / Water that having infiltrated the soil surface, percolates to the ground water table and moves laterally to reappear as surface runoff.
Basin / A tract of land in which the ground is broadly tilted toward a common point. Water that falls onto any portion of the basin is carried toward the common point by a single river system.
Bedding / Material such as straw, sawdust, wood shavings, shredded newspaper, sand or other similar material used in animal confinement areas for the comfort of the animal or to absorb excess moisture. Bedding can drastically affect the characteristics of the manure, and must be taken into consideration in the design of the storage facility.
Bedrock / The solid rock that underlies the soil and other unconsolidated material or that is exposed at the surface.
Belowground storage tanks / Belowground storage tanks are used as an alternative to underbuilding pit storage and earthen basins. Belowground storage can be located totally or partially below grade and should be surrounded by fences or guardrails to prevent people, livestock, or equipment from accidentally entering the tank. Such tanks are suitable for operations handling slurry (semisolid) or liquid manure; this generally excludes open-lot waste which is inconsistent in composition and has a higher percentage of solids. Below and aboveground storage tanks are appropriate in situations where the production site has karst terrain, space constraints, or aesthetics issues associated with earthen basins. Storing manure in prefabricated or formed storage tanks is especially advantageous on sites with porous soils or fragmented bedrock. Such locations may be unfit for earthen basins and lagoons because seepage and ground water contamination may occur.
Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BAT) / Technology-based standard established by the Clean Water Act (CWA) as the most appropriate means available on a national basis for controlling the direct discharge of toxic and nonconventional pollutants to navigable waters. BAT effluent limitations guidelines, in general, represent the best existing performance of treatment technologies that are economically achievable within an industrial point source category or subcategory.
Best Conventional Pollutant Control Technology (BCT) / Technology-based standard for the discharge from existing industrial point sources of conventional pollutants including BOD, TSS, fecal coliform, pH, oil and grease. The BCT is established in light of a two-part "cost reasonableness" test which compares the cost for an industry to reduce its pollutant discharge with the cost to a POTW for similar levels of reduction of a pollutant loading. The second test examines the cost-effectiveness of additional industrial treatment beyond BPT. EPA must find limits which are reasonable under both tests before establishing them as BCT.
Best management practice (BMP) [EPA] / Permit condition used in place of or in conjunction with effluent limitations to prevent or control the discharge of pollutants. May include schedule of activities, prohibition of practices, maintenance procedure, or other management practice. BMPs may include, but are not limited to, treatment requirements, operating procedures, or practices to control runoff, spillage, leaks, or drainage from raw material storage.
Best management practice (BMP) [NRCS] / A practice or combination of practices found to be the most effective, practicable (including economic and institutional considerations) means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by non-point sources to a level compatible with water quality goals.
Best professional judgment (BPJ) / The method used by permit writers to develop technology-based NPDES permit conditions, in those circumstances where there is no applicable effluent limitation guideline, on a case-by-case basis using all reasonably available and relevant data.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) / Laboratory measurement of the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms while decomposing organic matter in a product. BOD levels are indicative of the effect of the waste on fish or other aquatic life which require oxygen to live, and though not a specific compound, it is defined as a conventional pollutant under the federal Clean Water Act. An indirect measure of the concentration of biodegradable substances present in an aqueous solution. Determined by the amount of dissolved oxygen required for the aerobic degradation of the organic matter at 20 °C. BOD5 refers to that oxygen demand for the initial five days of the degradation process.
Biological wastewater treatment / Forms of wastewater treatment in which bacterial or biochemical action is intensified to stabilize or oxidize the unstable organic matter present. Oxidation ditches, aerated lagoons, anaerobic lagoons and anaerobic digesters are examples.
Boar / An uncastrated male hog.
BOD / The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed in five days by biological processes breaking down organic matter.
Breeding stock / Sexually mature male and female livestock that are retained to produce offspring.
Broiler / Meat-type chicken typically marketed at 6.5 weeks of age. Live weight at market generally averages 4 to 4.5 pounds per bird.
Buck / Male goat. Male goats are at times disparagingly called "Billy goats".
Buffer Zone / The region near the border of a protected area; a transition zone between areas managed for different objectives.
Bull / Bovine male, uncastrated of breeding age.
Bushel / A dry volume measure of varying weight for grain, fruit, etc., equal to four pecks or eight gallons (2150.42 cubic inches). A bushel of wheat, soybeans, and white potatoes each weighs 60 pounds. A bushel of corn, rye, grain sorghum, and flaxseed each weighs 56 pounds. A bushel of barley, buckwheat, and apples each weighs 48 pounds.
Bypass / The intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of a treatment (or pretreatment) facility.
By-product / Product of considerably less value than the major product. For example, the hide and offal are by-products while beef is the major product.
Calf / Young male or female bovine animal under 1 year of age.
Calve / Giving birth to a calf.
Capillary fringe / The zone at the bottom of the vadose zone where ground water is drawn upward by capillary force.
Capon / Castrated male chicken.
Carbonate / A sediment formed by the organic or inorganic precipitation from aqueous solution of carbonates of calcium, magnesium, or iron.
Cation / Positively charged ion; can adsorb to soil particle. Common soil cations are ammonium (NH4+), calcium (Ca+2), and potassium (K+).
Cation exchange / Ion exchange process in which cations in solution are exchanged for other cations on the surface of a surface-active (ion exchanger) material, such as a clay colloid or organic colloid.
Cation-exchange capacity / The total amount of exchangeable cations that can be adsorbed by a soil, or a soil constituent expressed in terms of milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil at neutrality (pH 7.0) or at some other stated pH value.
Certified livestock manager / Certified livestock manager means a person that has been duly certified by the Department as an operator of a livestock waste handling facility.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) / An indirect measure of the biochemical load exerted on the oxygen content of a body of water when organic wastes are introduced into the water. If the wastes contain only readily available organic bacterial food and no toxic matter, the COD values can be correlated with BOD values obtained from the same wastes.
Clay / As a soil separate, the mineral soil particles less than 0.002 millimeter in diameter. As a soil textural class, soil material that is 40 percent or more clay, less than 45 percent sand, and less than 40 percent silt.
Coarse textured soil / Sand or loamy sand.
Coliform Bacteria / Microorganisms which typically inhabit the intestines of warm-blooded animals. They are commonly measured in drinking water analyses to indicate pollution by human or animal waste.
Coliform bacteria / A group of bacteria predominantly found in the soil. The fecal coliform species inhabits the intestines of man or animal. Coliform bacteria includes all aerobic and facultative anaerobic, gram-negative, non-spore-forming bacilli that ferment lactose with production of gas. This group of "total" coliforms includes Escherichia coli (E-Coli), which is considered to be a typical coliform of fecal origin.
Compost / Decomposed organic material resulting from the composting process. Used to enrich or improve the consistency of soil.
Composting / A process of aerobic biological decomposition of organic material characterized by elevated temperatures that, when complete, results in a relatively stable product suitable for a variety of agricultural and horticultural uses.
Conductivity / See electrical and hydraulic conductivity.
Cone of depression / A depression in the ground water table or potentiometric surface that has the shape of an inverted cone and develops around a well from which water is being withdrawn. It defines the area of influence of a well.
Confined aquifer / A formation in which the ground water is isolated from the atmosphere at the point of discharge by impermeable geologic formations. Confined ground water is generally subject to pressure greater than atmospheric.
Confinement area / The animal confinement area includes but is not limited to open lots, housed lots, feedlots, confinement houses, stall barns, free stall barns, milkrooms, milking centers, cowyards, barnyards, medication pens, walkers, animal walkways, and stables.
Conservation cropping sequence / An adapted sequence of crops designed to provide adequate organic residue for maintenance or improvement of soil tilth and for other conservation purposes.
Conservation district / Any unit of local government formed to carry out a local soil and water conservation program.
Conservation Management Unit (CMU) / A field, group of fields, or other land units of the same land use and having similar treatment needs and planned management. A CMU is a grouping by the planner to simplify planning activities and facilitate development of conservation management systems. A CMU has definite boundaries, such as fence, drainage, vegetation, topography, or soil lines.
Conservation plan / A combination of land uses and farming practices to protect and improve soil productivity and water quality, and to prevent deterioration of natural resources on all or part of a farm. Plans may be prepared by staff working in conservation districts and must meet technical standards. For some purposes, such as conservation compliance, the plan must be approved by the local conservation district. Under the 1996 FAIR Act, conservation plans for conservation compliance must be both technically and economically feasible.