Lake contamination?

Question

Why might farmers be a cause of lake contamination [fecal]?

Answer 1

Spreading manure from animals to fertilize their fields, then the fecal matter is washed into the lake by rainwater runoff.

NOTE: Question specified fecal contamination.  Pesticides and soil erosion don't contribute to this - only "f***s".

Answer 2

yeah, usually because they spread a lot of p**p around. Another thing is that the animals may actually be directly in the water itself, where they can defecate quite easily.  You can imagine having a few hundred cows hanging out in the water and pooping all the time.  I can, it's disgusting.

Answer 3

Hi Ashley,

Dean is correct; however, they (farmers) might also be the source of a good number of other contaminants.

Farmer might contaminate a lake is by the runoff of pesticides that they use on their crops.  Even fertilizers (besides manure) that farmers use to replenish the soil with nutrients that runoff into the water will contaminate it.

Another source of farmer contamination is soil erosion.  This is such a problem that nearly any county with significant farming will have a Soil Conservation District.  Improper tilling, terracing, etc. can create soil erosion it rains and/or when they water.  Too much silt in a lake will act to choke off oxygen levels that aquatic life need to live.

Dairy farmers are also significant sources of contamination because of the fecal and urine runoff (have you ever smelled a dairy farm with all of that methane gas in the air) from their milk cows, pigs, chickens, etc.

I hope this helps.

Hiking Tony