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Poultry WQMP Program
New!! Senate Bill 1693 -- Relating to the regulation of poultry facilities and poultry litter (PDF, 55 kB)
New!! Supplemental Guidance to Water Quality Management Plans For Dry-Litter Poultry CAFOs (PDF, 135 kB)
New!! Update on Recent Legislation Impacting Poultry Producers (PDF, 169 kB)
Overview
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| Poultry Farm |
In 2001, the 77th Legislature amended the Texas Water Code to require all persons who own or operate a poultry facility to implement and maintain a Water Quality Management Plan that is certified by the State Soil and Water Conservation Board. The new law provides a staggered-schedule of deadlines by which each producer, depending on their initial date of operation, must have requested the development of a WQMP from their local Soil and Water Conservation District. Approximately 94 percent of all poultry facilities in Texas currently operate under a certified Water Quality Management Plan.
| Date of Initial Operation | Plan Submission Date |
| January 1, 2002 or later | Before receipt of birds |
| September 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 | Before January 1, 2002 |
| January 1, 1993 to August 31, 2001 | Before January 1, 2002 |
| January 1, 1988 to December 31, 1992 | Before January 1, 2003 |
| January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1987 | Before January 1, 2005 |
| December 31, 1982 or earlier | Before January 1, 2008 |
What is A WQMP?
 |
| Poultry Incinerator |
A water quality management plan is a site-specific document indicating when, where, and how to implement conservation practices following standards in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office Technical Guide. These plans are tailored to each landowner's conservation needs and management goals while ensuring adherence to state water quality laws.
Best Management Practices
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| Poultry Waste Storage Facility |
Poultry growers in 45 counties in Texas have received technical and financial assistance from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, through local soil and water conservation districts, to implement practices to abate non-point source pollution from their facilities. Some of those practices include: incinerators, composters, and freezers for mortality management, waste storage facilities for manure management, and nutrient management plans for proper land application of manure as fertilizer.
For More Information:
- New!! Supplemental Guidance to Water Quality Management Plans For Dry-Litter Poultry CAFOs (PDF, 135 kB)
- New!! Update on Recent Legislation Impacting Poultry Producers (PDF, 169 kB)
- Poultry Rules
- Poultry WQMP Information (129 kB)
- WQMP Rules (PDF, 36 kB)
- Important Changes To State Laws Affecting Texas Poultry Producers (PDF, 57 kB
- Senate Bill 1339 (PDF, 17 kB)
- Catastrophic Animal Mortality Management (Burial Method) Technical Guide (PDF, 185 kB)
- Impacts of Poultry Litter Application to Cropland and Rangeland Watersheds
Contact Information:
For additional information call the TSSWCB Poultry Program at 936-462-7020, or send an e-mail to poultry [at] tsswcb [dot] state [dot] tx [dot] us.
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