Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Many regions of the state have continued to be in moderate to severe drought this season, which is impacting water tables and wells. Are you making changes on your farm because of a dropping water table, like using pond or river water for irrigation? Learn more about using surface water for irrigation, if this is something you are doing or considering doing. This farm pond has become a water source for deer and racoons in the drought. You can see the tracks from animals on the banks of the pond. Using pond water like this for irrigation is a risk due to the high potential for pathogens in the water from wildlife and other sources of contamination. What are the risks with surface water sources? Surface waters like ponds are considered a high risk water source since their quality can be highly variable and they are susceptible to contamination from animals and other sources of fecal contamination. This water is much more...
