You might see manure spreading happen in Kewaunee County earlier than usual this year, thanks to the spring-like weather the area has seen. Adopted in 2016, the Public Health and Groundwater Protection Ordinance bans spreading waste onto land with a soil depth of 20 feet or less to bedrock from January 1st to April 15th. The hope with the ordinance is that the melting snow and spring rains would not carry manure and other waste into the groundwater. Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation Department Director Davina Bonness told the committee on Tuesday that farmers had requested the date be lifted due to the nice weather that could allow them to plant earlier. It is recommended that nutrients be spread onto the field shortly after planting. Committee chairperson Aaron Augustian was lukewarm to the idea, saying they have come a long way since the ordinance was enacted.

The Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation Committee will meet a week earlier, on April 2nd, to determine if they could lift the ordinance if the weather remains dry and mild.