Horses and Livestock
Preventing runoff from horse and livestock activities from entering our streets and storm drains helps protect our waterways from pollution! All sources of pollution, including runoff from horse and livestock activities, are prohibited from leaving your property; only rainwater is allowed in the streets and storm drains.
Did you know…
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The waste generated by horses and livestock has been found to contain high concentrations of bacteria and this makes it a potential contaminant to our waterways.
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Manure also contains nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, that help grow aquatic algae which can degrade water quality.
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Releasing pollutants directly or indirectly into the storm drain system is a violation of the County’s Watershed Protection Ordinance (WPO).
What can I do?
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Manage waste thoughtfully: proper storage of manure will help to protect water quality. Be sure to locate manure away from drainage sites and cover and berm stockpiles of manure to prevent runoff.
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Use Best Management Practices (BMPs): BMPs are techniques or controls used to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants, such as manure, into the storm drain system. BMPs for the management of manure on your property could include composting manure or disposing of it properly.
Want to learn more?
The resources below provide suggested BMPs and further information on how to protect our waterways. Some resources have been translated to multiple languages. Please click the buttons to view available languages:
Know before you go…
Regular cleaning of waste from horses and livestock will help to ensure the safety of our waterways and your animals.
If you would like to report a concern about manure management, have questions about our program, or would like additional information call the County Storm Drain Pollution hotline at: 1(888) 846-0800 or e-mail us at watersheds@sdcounty.ca.gov
Thank you for doing your part to protect our waterways!
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