The North Dakota State University Extension Livestock Water Quality Program received the national Search for Excellence award in the Livestock Production category from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA). The program was recognized at a ceremony held July 19 at the NACAA Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Search for Excellence in Livestock Production award recognizes an outstanding extension educational program in livestock production.
“The Livestock Water Quality Program was developed to raise awareness of the impacts of water quality on livestock health and performance, increase the number of producers screening and testing livestock water sources, resulting in reduced livestock losses due to toxic water condition and the development of alternative livestock water sources,” says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist and a leader of the program.
The program team created an on-farm monitoring program involving 38 Extension agents who sampled water sources in 39 counties for total dissolved solids and sulfates. Extension agents screened 1,841 livestock water samples from 1,481 locations in 2020 and 2021.
TDS screenings identified 136 sources that may contribute to poor livestock performance,146 sources with the potential to negatively impact livestock health, and 20 with deadly TDS levels. Sulfate screenings (2021 only) identified 329 sources that may be toxic to livestock.