Growing hay in a Wellhead protection area?

[SvdSinner]

I'm talking to a local city about the possibility of growing hay on a 80+ acre field that the city has where they have their wells for their city water supply.

The area is inside their designated wellhead protection area, meaning that high impact farming would be out of the question. (Think in terms of no dumping dangerous pesticides, etc. on the field) There is, most likely a way to grow hay there with environmentally safe practices, and I'm trying to figure out what that might look like.

Has anyone here dealt with a wellhead protection area? I'd love to talk to anyone who has done any farming inside a wellhead protection area, and hear how easy/hard it is to deal with all the regulations, and how the regulations impact yields.

[hayfarmer]

I have worked for my state's environmental protection agency for over 24 years. Take my advice and don't use the land. Everytime someone coughs, they will want to blame you.
If you still want to farm the land, the have the well test before you start (base line analysis). Make sure the analysis includes any fertilizer compoents and pesticides that you might use. You might be surprise what is already in the water. Keep detaled records of fertilizer and pesticide use and do not share unless you have to.

[mlappin]

Thats^ pretty much what I was thinking. Just don't, doesn't sound like its worth the headaches or the liability.

[swmnhay]

Wellhead protection area sounds scary but if the rent was rite and a long term lease.I would think 0 use of pesticides and Nitrogen fertilizer because of nitrates.Maybe not even a Legume because of nitrates also.Maybe plant some grass something that gets thick to hold back weeds,maybe some native grasses.Is it a lowland area?Reedcanary grass would be a option.

Like the others said cover your but and don't have any reason they could blame you for any contamination

[haybaler101]

I have customed baled a well-head protection area and it has an excellent stand of cool season grasses on it. Tenant just can not use any fertilizer, insecticide or pesticides. Would be a great opportunity for organic hay production.

[mlappin]

I made some organic hay for a lady down the road, organic or not, still needs fertilized. I'm not sure what she was using, but it was certified organic and she was paying a company for 40 miles of road travel to spread fertilizer on her hay.