Northwest Pennsylvania receives its fair share of rain. When clean rainwater runs through the barnyard and mixes with manure, the “dirty” water must be dealt with to avoid erosion and decreasing environmental quality. The water will also carry away manure that could be used for its nutrients. In order to utilize manure for fertilizer and reduce environmental impacts, curbing and filter areas can be used with positive results.

How is it addressed?

The most common types of curbing include solid concrete forms and concrete blocks.

Newly installed concrete blocks make scraping manure much easier and efficient.

To the right of the concrete curbing, a filter area has recently been seeded to catch the runoff nutrients before they enter the nearby stream.

Approximate Cost = $300 per cubic yard

The result is:

• Reduced “dirty” water runoff
• Improved water quality
• Improved soil quality
• Additional availability of manure
• Easier collection of manure