The Land & Water Conservation provides local leadership, education and technical expertise to improve the quality of life in Washington County by working closely with farmers, landowners, government officials, teachers, youth group leaders, community businesses, civic organizations and concerned residents to improve and conserve our soil and water resources.

• GENERAL CONTACT

  Planning & Parks - Land Resources

  Phone:262-335-4445Email: Land Resources

  Days Available:Monday - FridayHours Available:8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

The Agricultural Clean Sweep-Hazardous Waste Collection takes place at Veolia Environmental Services - W124N9451 Boundary Road, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 from February - November.

Washington County farmers have the opportunity to take their hazardous waste to Veolia three times a week; Mondays &Wednesdays: 11am-6pm and Saturdays: 8am-2pm. Pre-registration, $10 fee and a scheduled appointment date with Veolia (see below) is required per visit.  Keep Washington County's surface and groundwater clean by participating in this collection. Transport your chemicals safely-learn more from the National Pesticide Information Center website.

ATTENTION: If you are planning to dispose of farm chemicals, call Veolia at 262.875.7014 to schedule an appointment. This will ensure staff and equipment availability to safely handle your items.

Register Online at washcoparks.com or submit the 2026 Pre-registration Form (pdf) to the Land Resources Office.

Location Map
Site Drop Off Map (pdf)

Rules for the Day

-Farmers must stay in their trucks.
-Farmers must show proof of county residency.
-All items must be on a trailer/flat bed/trunk in non-returnable boxes/containers. (gas cans returned)

Disposal Alternatives for TVs, Appliances, Electronics, Computers & more (pdf)

Wisconsin's rules to control polluted runoff from farms, as well as other sources, went into effect October 1, 2002. The state Legislature passed the rules to help protect Wisconsin's lakes, streams and groundwater.

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rule NR 151 sets performance standards and prohibitions for farms. It also sets urban performance standards to control construction site erosion, manage runoff from streets and roads, and manage fertilizer use on large turf areas.

Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) rule ATCP 50 identifies conservation practices that individuals follow to meet the performance standards.

What Farmers Need To Know (pdf)
(NR 151) Department of Natural Resources
(ATCP 50) Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection
(Nutrient Mgt) Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection
(SNAP Plus 20) FREE Nutrient Management Planning Software - DATCP
(Conservation Planning) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
(Chapter 135) County Animal Waste Storage Facility Ordinance

Washington County has over 700 farms and nearly 130,000 acres of land in production. According to the 2017 Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics, livestock were prevalent in the county with 43,000 cattle and calves and 15,200 milk cows (87 herds). While valuable as sources of fertilizer for crop production, this manure can greatly harm water quality and aquatic life if improperly managed.

Water quality suffers in several ways. Animal waste contains high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen. When poor management results surface runoff, it creates conditions favorable for the excessive growth of weeds, plankton and algae. Natural decomposition of these weeds and the animal wastes itself consumes large amounts of dissolved oxygen, thus making it difficult for fish and other aquatic life to survive. Bacteria, such as fecal coliform, and ammonia (a toxic form of nitrogen) are also associated with in raw waste. Both are harmful, and in extreme cases fatal, to animals and humans. Groundwater can also suffer when liquids from improperly stored manure leaches into groundwater supplies. High levels of bacteria and nitrates can end up in drinking water supplies and cause human health problems.

Animal Waste Storage Facilities - Permit & Ordinance Information

What is a Conservation Plan?
A conservation plan is a tool designed to help farmers better manage the natural resources on their farm. A soil conservationist will meet with you to evaluate the soil, water, air, plant and animal resources on your property and offer alternatives to address existing resource conditions. The alternatives you decide to use are recorded in your conservation plan which includes a schedule for installation. Implementing the conservation plan will help you protect the environment on and off your farm.

What’s in a Conservation Plan?

• An aerial photo of your fields
• A list of your management/rotation decisions
• A soil map and soil descriptions
• Information sheets explaining how to carry out your decisions
• An Operation and Maintenance Plan of practices, if needed.

Benefits of a Conservation Plan

• You will protect your soil and your farm's productivity
• You will help improve water quality in your area
• You will improve your soil health and manage soil moisture
• You will protect the productive value of your land for future generations
• You may comply with the State's Agricultural Performance Standards
• You may be eligible for USDA farm programs

There are two separate environmental risks, groundwater and surface water, associated with application of nutrients. The Land & Water Conservation Division maintains a GIS layer that identifies areas that have a high risk of negative environmental impacts if nutrients, either organic or commercial, are applied to the soil at critical times of the year or through inappropriate application methods.

A2809-Nutrient Application Guidelines for Field, Vegetable, and Fruit Crops in Wisconsin (2016) (pdf)

The USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service 590 Nutrient Management Code was used as a guide for the development of this layer, which consists of the following components:

1) SOILS - < 20" to bedrock, < 12" to apparent water table, high permeability rates, slope of 6% or greater.
2) SURFACE WATER - areas within 300' of navigable waters (rivers and streams) and areas within 1000' of navigable waters (lakes, ponds or flowage).

As fields are walked, concentrated flow channels are identified.

DATCP Interactive Mapping
PLANNING TO APPLY MANURE? CHECK BEFORE YOU SPREAD!

Runoff Risk Map Website 
The Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast map shows day-to-day risk of runoff occurring across Wisconsin using National Weather Service forecast methods that consider precipitation, soil moisture and individual basin characteristics.

Manure spreading decisions should be made with consideration of this tool to avoid unnecessary pollution of nearby surface water and groundwater and loss of valuable nutrients for your crops.

Over 200,000 soil samples are analyzed in WI each year, and the results of these tests guide WI farmers in the use of nutrient applications and lime. The appropriate use of these items, along with manure and other nutrient sources can significantly increase WI farm income. Just as importantly, following nutrient application guidelines prevents over-application of nutrients. This, in turn, enhances profitability and reduces the potential for environmental degradation.

The underlying goal of WI's recommendation program is to supply enough nutrients to the crop for optimum growth throughout the season.

A few specific goals of WI's soil testing program are...
1) Indicate the degree of nutrient deficiency that may exist for the various crops grown.

2) Estimate the amount of nutrient that should be applied to provide the greatest economic return to the farmer.

3) Monitor the changes in nutrient status of the field over time.


When ready to sample...
1 sample/5 acres, with each sample containing 6-8 (6 in deep) cores.
A W-shaped sampling pattern across the field works well.
Place all cores in a bucket, mix, and fill soil bag to recommended amount.

Avoid sampling...
Dead furrows
Manure Piles
Near fences and roads
Banded fertilizer rows
Eroded knolls
Low spots
Where stalks or bales were stacked
Headlands

Contact our local Land Conservation Office for field maps, soil bags, probe rental and shipping of samples to the lab.

The 2023 feasibility study that evaluated a community-based manure treatment system for an identified area of the County where nearly 5,000 milking cows exist (note: Farm F no longer has a milking herd) a few miles apart is now available.  Dynamic Renewables Inc. completed the feasibility study for the County that evaluated emerging technologies including anaerobic digestion, nutrient recovery systems, and treatment technologies that produce renewable energy, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce odor and pathogens, recover a significant fraction of fiber in manure solids, and remove nitrogen/phosphorus in the waste stream.  Cluster or community-based digester and manure treatment is not a new concept, as there can be significant economies of scale benefits engaging multi-farm operations that are close to one another.  The study was made possible by a grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan.