Increased concentrations of ammonia, nitrogen, phosphorus, and fecal bacteria are being found in parts of the North Bosque River, Upper North Bosque River, and the Leon River. A positive correlation appears to exist between waste concentrations from dairies and the decline of water quality in the surrounding area.

Through funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; the Texas Water Resources Institute and Texas Cooperative Extension are working in a joint effort to expand the market for dairy compost from the Stephenville, Texas area. To support this effort, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is administering an incentive program for public entities that purchase dairy compost. By establishing a sustainable market for this natural manure product, the dairy producer, end-user, and environment benefit.

Dairy compost is an organic soil amendment created from dairy manure. Large portions of plant nutrients ingested by cows appear in the manure and its compost, which, like other compost, can be applied to gardens, fields, or yards to improve soil structure and fertility.

• Texas Cooperative Extension
• Texas Water Resources Institute
• Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
• Brazos River Authority
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Through the outreach and education of the Dairy Compost Utilization Project, Texas Cooperative Extension personnel have furthered the understanding, utilization, and market potential of dairy manure compost in and around the Bosque River Watershed. Accomplishments include:

• Educating compost facilities to produce a more consistent, high-quality product
• Continuous monitoring of compost quality through random product sampling
• Assisting compost producers in meeting Texas Department of Transportation compost specifications
• Establishing compost application demonstrations on courthouse lawns, football and soccer practice fields, city parks, and military training areas
• Texas Cooperative Extension has provided education outreach, technical assistance, and documented application results for compost producers and users
• Providing direct marketing of composted manure and targeting both public entities and private citizens throughout the region
• Educational materials/information include: fact sheets, Web site, news releases, workshops, demonstrations and training for County Extension Agents, composters and others
• Private producers rebate program to allow purchase of compost from one of the approved dairy compost facilities in or near the watershed
• Compost being used by the Texas Department of Transportation to promote roadside vegetation that aids in the prevention of pollution from non-point source highway runoff.