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| What's the real poop? Once upon a time, dairy cows wandered green pastures between milkings. These days many dairy farmers have found Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to be more profitable. The Bosque and Leon River Watersheds are home to one of the densest concentrations of dairy cows in the country. Dairy cows are reported to produce around 120 pounds of waste each day (roughly the equivalent of 24 people). That means some of the CAFOs have more cow waste than they can easily store or dispose of. And that means the waste is polluting the Leon and Bosque Watersheds. When there is a heavy rain, just think of a giant toilet flushing directly into the rivers. ) The
waste in the North Bosque River is so bad, parts of it have been
designated as "impaired". Many dairy cows are fed extra phosphorous
to increase milk production. Since not all of the phosphorous is
absorbed by the cow, it is passed in the waste. High levels of phosphorous
and other excess nutrients have resulted in algae blooms and low
levels of dissolved oxygen. Without enough oxygen, creatures living
in the water may die. In addition, elevated levels of fecal coliform
(a dangerous bacteria) are a problem. Thus, the waste has resulted
in reduced aquatic life and made parts of the river unfit for recreation,
such as fishing or swimming. And the waste in the Leon and Bosque
Watersheds flows downstream to the lakes providing drinking water,
recreation, and economic benefit to communities such as Belton,
Copperas Cove, Fort Hood, Killeen, Temple, and Waco. In the Greater
Waco area, the cost of new treatment processes to prepare the water
for human consumption is in the millions of dollars and is a direct
hit on local taxpayers. In other words, as the irresponsible CAFOs
pollute the Leon and Bosque Watersheds, they impact the economic
vitality of those living downstream. |
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