WESTSIDE — Farmers are concerned that new restrictions in the Eucha/ Spavinaw watershed might put them out of business.
More than 60 people listened to discussion on a revised settlement to a federal case about the watershed at the Jay Community Center in Jay, Okla., on June 7.
“It was to end the lawsuit and hopefully end the lawsuit for good,” said Jim Reese, secretary for Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.
Farmers in the watershed will likely face new phosphorus restrictions becauseof the new agreement reached March 14.
“I might as well sell my land,” said Chester Walker, cattle and hay producer of Maysville.
Existing restrictions have reduced the number of hay bales his field produces to 35, he said. This is a decrease of about 65 bales of hay.
The initial settlement in the case was made July16, 2003, between the City of Tulsa and area poultry producers, including Cobb-Vantress, Peterson Farms and Simmons Foods.
Walker said he’s usedcommercial fertilizer, which is more expensive than chicken litter, but it doesn’t grow the grass like the litter.
“We have no profit,” he said.
The watershed spans fromwestern Lake Spavinaw in eastern Mayes County, Okla., to northwest Benton County at the headwaters of Spavinaw Creek. The watershed includes Lake Eucha in Delaware County, Okla.
“We have watersheds in Arkansas that this won’t affect, and that’s not fair,” said Jerry Hunton, president of Poultry Partners, Inc.
A new restriction must be decided on in order to determine the final phosphorus limit for the watershed.
Andrew Sharpley, agricultural professor at the University of Arkansas, is working to determine the new number.
Sharpley said he’s working to make sure his work is based in science that will stand up in court.
Because of a scrivener’s error, the amount of litter that farmers can spread on Arkansas fields in the watershed will be reduced, according to court documents.
The new limit will be 300 pounds per acre. This is about 25 percent more restrictive than the existing requirement.
Those who meet or exceed the limit will not be able to spread litter on the field until it tests less than the limit again.
The existing amount of phosphorus allowed hasbeen measured in milligrams to kilogram of soil. It is 300 milligrams of phosphorus per kilogram of soil.
Oklahoma farmers in the watershed have already been held to the 300 pounds per acre standard since the initial settlement agreement.
The new phosphorus requirement might be in place in as soon as four to five months.
Sharpley was given six months from the new settlement to complete his study.
“Maybe someday in the future we can use chicken litter again,” Hunton said. “Politicians don’t get elected when grocery prices go up.”
Community, Pages 16 on 06/20/2012