Confinement feeding operations that plan to build, modify or expand must meet state requirements for the new construction. It is important to determine as early as possible, at least 120 days before you plan to begin construction, what size the proposed operation will be and the type of manure storage that will be used. Once size and type of storage are known, you can determine which state requirements must be met.
Iowa’s open feedlots are places where animals are kept in unroofed or partially roofed areas. To be considered an open feedlot, animals are fed and maintained in pens for at least 45 days in a one-year period. Unlike animals on pasture, manure from the animals is concentrated and the ground is bare of vegetation.
To determine the size of your proposed operation, calculate the animal unit capacity or AUC. Caution: If you have ownership or management in another operation that is or will be located within 1250/2500 feet of the proposed site; or that would be sharing a common area or system for manure disposal, irregardless of the distance, the two operations may be considered one operation and the animal unit capacities of both must be added together to determine the size of the operation. Please contact your local DNR field office for assistance in determining if two adjacent operations are considered as one.
There are two basic types of storage, formed and unformed. Formed manure storage structures are usually concrete floors with concrete or steel walls, and must be strong enough to withstand internal and external load pressures. Unformed manure storage structures or earthen basins include anaerobic lagoons, earthen aerobic structures and earthen manure storage basins.
Formed manure storage structures built of concrete must meet the Iowa Administrative Code concrete standards. 567 IAC 65.108(10).
First you need to determine if you own or manage another confinement operation that is located within 2,500 feet; or that utilizes a common system for manure storage regardless of how far they are apart. If the answer is "yes," you must first contact your nearest DNR Field Office, before proceeding with separation distance determination.
All sites, no matter how many animals, need to meet the minimum separation distances.
Distances that Apply to all Confinement Feeding Operations, regardless of animal unit capacity:
Surface intakes of an agricultural drainage well or water source other than major (Excluding farm ponds, privately owned lakes or when a secondary containment barrier is provided) 500 feet
Wellhead or cistern of an agricultural drainage well or known sinkhole or major water source (Excluding farm ponds, privately owned lakes or when a secondary containment barrier is provided) 1,000 feet
Right-of-way of a thoroughfare maintained by the state or a political subdivision (100 feet)
200 feet from a water source required for a dry-bedded confinement feeding operation structure.
You need to check the separation distances to a residence, business, church, school, public use area, water wells, major water sources, sinkholes, water sources, designated wetlands, environmentally sensitive areas and public thoroughfares.
Based on size and storage type, there are three basic categories of confinement feeding operations:
Permitted - A construction permit is required prior to building, modifying or expanding operations that use unformed storage regardless of size. A construction permit is also required prior to building, modifying or expanding an operation that uses formed storage if the final animal unit capacity will be 1,000 animal units or more. See pre-construction requirements and design standards.
Non-permitted - Formed Manure Storage - A construction permit is not required for building, modifying or expanding a confinement feeding operation with a proposed animal unit capacity greater than 500 but less than 1,000 animal units that uses formed storage. However, pre-construction requirements and design standards must be met before construction begins. See pre-construction requirements.
Small - Formed Manure Storage - Neither a construction permit nor a manure management plan are required for small operations (SAFO), 500 or less animal units, that use formed manure storage, but separation distance requirements apply. See pre-construction requirements.
Open Lot Feeding Operations
Minimum Requirements: Open feedlot producers are required to manage manure, process wastewater, settleable solids and effluent from the feedlot accordingly.
Additional Construction Information
The DNR has developed the AFO Siting Atlas to help livestock and poultry producers who are planning a new animal feeding operation, or the expansion or modification of an existing operation. This application gives a quick overview of the landscape features that must be considered when planning construction. The application can be especially helpful in determining the locations of one hundred year floodplain, karst topography and sinkholes.
Karst describes areas in Iowa that may be vulnerable to groundwater contamination. Karst terrain refers to areas where soluble bedrock lies close to the ground surface. Karst areas are often characterized by sinkholes and losing streams. Water and contaminants in these areas can travel quickly through underground passageways to wells, springs, and streams.
Iowa laws have specific requirements for building, expanding or modifying open feedlots and confinement feeding operations located in a one hundred year floodplain of a major water source. Depending upon specific site conditions, construction may be prohibited or a floodplain permit may be required. To determine if in a one hundred year floodplain; go to the AFO Siting Atlas and follow instructions or contact your local DNR field office for assistance.
All animal feeding operation structures have a "high damage potential," meaning flood protection (both structural integrity and elevation of the lowest opening) must be provided to the level of the one hundred year floodplain plus one foot. In addition, the construction must allow for the conveyance of flood flows.
Iowa law prohibits placing confinement feeding operations within 1,000 feet of a sinkhole, and sets specific separation distances from other protected waters. Also, animal producers who plan to build, modify or expand a confinement feeding operation structure will need to find out if the proposed location is in karst terrain.
Use the AFO Siting Atlas as one tool to evaluate potential sites for environmental concerns.
The AFO Siting Atlas was created because of requests from the livestock industry. It is designed to help producers evaluate potential locations for livestock and poultry sites. Producers, consultants and DNR staff can quickly locate a potential site and determine if a new or expanding facility is likely to be located in the one hundred year floodplain or in karst terrain.
Use the instructions below for the AFO Siting Atlas. Go to the AFO Siting Atlas.
Click on the upper arrow to zoom in to the location you are interested in, or type the address or legal description of the proposed location into the appropriate search tool at the bottom left of the application.
Click on the proposed site location on the map to estimate AFO site parameters. Look for specific distances in the pop-up box on the right.
Determine whether the site is in the "one hundred year floodplain" or "within 1,000 feet of a mapped sinkhole" or in "potential karst," using the pop-up box.
Color overlays can be turned on or off in the Map Layers list.
You will need to print out the map for documentation. To print an image of your site, go to File – Print in your web browser.
Since it was impossible to analyze the soil and subsurface properties of every piece of land in Iowa, the DNR GIS Section created maps that contain all of the potential karst and one hundred year floodplain in the state. Producers who wish to locate a site in these areas will have to consult with an engineer, soil scientist or qualified staff from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to confirm the mapping or submit documentation to refute the one hundred year floodplain or karst mapping. Additional information about this process can be found in a factsheet on floodplain and karst determinations.
One hundred year floodplain. If the footprint of the proposed confinement or manure storage structure is within the one hundred year floodplain layer, construction is prohibited.
Karst terrain. If the footprint of the proposed confinement or manure storage structure is within "Karst" or "Potential Karst" (areas shaded dark pink), a karst report will need to be completed, if you have questions please contact a DNR animal feeding operations permitting engineer at 712-262-4177 or 641-424-4073.
Producers/Consultants: To document the determination, please attach a printed copy of the map, with the footprint of the proposed structure marked clearly, to the appropriate materials:
Permitted confinements - Submit with construction permit application and send to DNR Field Office in Spencer.
Non-permitted confinement sites - Submit with MMP and send to the appropriate DNR Field Office.
SAFOs (small animal feeding operations) do not need to submit documentation, but should keep a copy with their plans.
If you receive correspondence from the DNR Flood Plain Section, please include a copy of that correspondence with your submitted materials.
Floodplain Requirements for Confinement Feeding Operations
State law (567 IAC 65.9(1)) prohibits construction of a confinement in the one hundred year floodplain of a major water source. The AFO Siting Atlas is used to determine if a potential animal feeding operation site would be located in a one hundred year floodplain. You will need to know the township, range and section of the proposed location. Please document your findings from the map and submit that document with your construction design plans. Small animal feeding operations - please keep a copy of the documentation on-site, unless a construction permit is needed.
Floodplain Requirements for Open Feedlots
State law (567 IAC 65.9(1)) prohibits construction of a settled open feedlot effluent basin at an open feedlot requiring a construction permit in the one hundred year floodplain of a major water source. For proposed open feedlot structures, a floodplain construction permit must be obtained if the stream drainage area is greater than 10 square miles. Producers can use the AFO Siting Atlas to determine if a proposed site is in a one hundred year floodplain. The PERMT online application system can be used to determine if a floodplain permit is required and used to apply if one is required. For questions about this process, contact the DNR Flood Plain section at floodplain-help@dnr.iowa.gov or call 866-849-0321.
Karst terrain is characterized by the presence of easily dissolved bedrock (limestone and dolomite) near the ground surface. Because carbonate rocks can be dissolved by groundwater, karst areas are often characterized by sinkholes, springs, and losing streams where some surface flow is lost to groundwater. Groundwaters and surface waters in these areas are highly vulnerable to contamination because contaminants can travel quickly from the surface through open fractures and caves to aquifers, springs, and streams and are not likely to be filtered by soils.
Producers can check the AFO Siting Atlas to determine if a potential animal feeding operation site would be located near a sinkhole or in karst terrain.
Karst Requirements for Confinement Feeding Operations
The Iowa Administrative Code prohibits new, expanding and modified confinement operations from constructing unformed manure storage (earthen basins) in karst terrain.
The Iowa Administrative Code also prohibits new, expanding and modified confinement operations from constructing within 1,000 feet of a sinkhole unless secondary containment is provided. Any new confinements in karst terrain, with more than 500 animal units, must meet upgraded concrete standards, by providing the DNR with soil borings indicating the depth to bedrock below the proposed formed structures. If there is less than five feet to bedrock below the bottom of a proposed formed structure, the construction plans must be signed and sealed by a professional engineer, and a two-foot clay liner must be installed below the structure. Water monitoring for ammonia-nitrogen may also be required for new confinements in karst terrain.
The master matrix is a scoring system that can be used to evaluate the siting of permitted confinement feeding operations. Counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution can use the master matrix. Counties must re-adopt the construction evaluation resolution annually between January 1 and January 31, starting in 2004, to continue to use the master matrix. Producers in counties that have adopted the matrix must meet higher standards than other permitted facilities. Before they can be approved for construction, they must earn points on the master matrix for choosing sites and using practices that reduce adverse impacts on the environment and the community. Producers must have 50% (440 points minimum) of the total score and at least 25% of the available points in each of the three subcategories of air, water and community impacts to pass the master matrix.
Who Needs the Master Matrix?
The Master Matrix must be completed by operations applying for a construction permit, unless they can meet one of the following two exemptions:
The county, where the operation is located or will be located, has not adopted the construction evaluation resolution or does not have a valid construction evaluation resolution when the application is submitted; OR
The operation was first constructed prior to April 1, 2002 and is expanding to an animal unit capacity (AUC) of 1,666 AU or less. This exemption applies in all counties.
Note: producers must also submit the supporting master matrix documents (e.g. design, operation and maintenance plans as written in certain matrix items).
County officials and staff can find more information about adopting a construction evaluation resolution on the Iowa State Association of Counties' website.
The following maps show which counties adopted the Construction Evaluation Resolution (CER) to use the Master Matrix:
Caution:This web page summarizes Iowa laws, including the DNR's administrative rules. While every effort is made to keep this page current and accurate, there are frequent changes to the laws governing animal feeding operations; the law will prevail in the event of a conflict between this web page and the law. We encourage users to consult Iowa Code Chapter 459 and 567 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 65 for current statutory provisions and administrative rules.
