Watershed pollution possess an environmental problem for many areas across the world. One example is the Buffalo National River Watershed. Recently, an industrial hog farming complex has moved near the Buffalo National River and in the watershed for this river system. Industrial hog farms create tremendous amounts of hog waste that pose a threat to the creeks and rivers that make up the surrounding watershed. Can the government and local conservation groups protect this beautiful ecosystem, and if so, how do they protect this watershed and encourage economic activity at the same time? The Buffalo River in Northwest Arkansas was designated as Americas first national river in 1972. It is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48
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The endangered species include: the snuffbox mussel, the Gray bat, and the Indiana bat. The Buffalo National River is a popular camping, canoeing, hiking, and fishing location drawing in a million visitors a year. This important watershed is in danger of biological waste and chemical pollutants now with the installation of a hog farm factory just six miles away right next to one of the Buffalo's major tributaries. C & H Hog Farm is located near the town of Mt. Judea, and near Big Creek, one of the largest tributaries of the Buffalo River. It was one of the first concentrated animal feeding operations(CAFO) in the state to get a permit. Their permit allows them to house 2,500 sows, 3 boars, and another 4,000 piglets. The piglets are shipped out by truck at three weeks of age to other facilities to be fattened up for slaughter. C & H farms will raise the piglets for Cargill, which will be their sole customer. With industrial expansion in Northwest Arkansas in the last decade this pristine area …show more content…
coli, Cryptosporidium, and fecal coliform, which can be 10 to 100 times more concentrated than in human waste. More than 40 diseases can be transferred to humans through manure.(Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms 2013)” Also, “Large hog farms emit hydrogen sulfide, a gas that most often causes flu-like symptoms in humans, but at high concentrations can lead to brain damage. In 1998, the National Institute of Health reported that 19 people died as a result of hydrogen sulfide emissions from manure pits.(Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms 2013)” Examples of pig farm leaks and spills include: “In 1995 an eight-acre hog-waste lagoon in North Carolina burst, spilling 25 million gallons of manure into the New River. The spill killed about 10 million fish and closed 364,000 acres of coastal wetlands to shellfishing. In 2011, an Illinois hog farm spilled 200,000 gallons of manure into a creek, killing over 110,000 fish. When Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina in 1999, at least five manure lagoons burst and approximately 47 lagoons were completely flooded. Runoff of chicken and hog waste from factory farms in Maryland and North Carolina is believed to have contributed to outbreaks of Pfiesteria piscicida, killing millions of fish and causing skin irritation, short-term memory loss and other cognitive problems in local people. Ammonia, a toxic form of nitrogen
The endangered species include: the snuffbox mussel, the Gray bat, and the Indiana bat. The Buffalo National River is a popular camping, canoeing, hiking, and fishing location drawing in a million visitors a year. This important watershed is in danger of biological waste and chemical pollutants now with the installation of a hog farm factory just six miles away right next to one of the Buffalo's major tributaries. C & H Hog Farm is located near the town of Mt. Judea, and near Big Creek, one of the largest tributaries of the Buffalo River. It was one of the first concentrated animal feeding operations(CAFO) in the state to get a permit. Their permit allows them to house 2,500 sows, 3 boars, and another 4,000 piglets. The piglets are shipped out by truck at three weeks of age to other facilities to be fattened up for slaughter. C & H farms will raise the piglets for Cargill, which will be their sole customer. With industrial expansion in Northwest Arkansas in the last decade this pristine area …show more content…
coli, Cryptosporidium, and fecal coliform, which can be 10 to 100 times more concentrated than in human waste. More than 40 diseases can be transferred to humans through manure.(Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms 2013)” Also, “Large hog farms emit hydrogen sulfide, a gas that most often causes flu-like symptoms in humans, but at high concentrations can lead to brain damage. In 1998, the National Institute of Health reported that 19 people died as a result of hydrogen sulfide emissions from manure pits.(Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms 2013)” Examples of pig farm leaks and spills include: “In 1995 an eight-acre hog-waste lagoon in North Carolina burst, spilling 25 million gallons of manure into the New River. The spill killed about 10 million fish and closed 364,000 acres of coastal wetlands to shellfishing. In 2011, an Illinois hog farm spilled 200,000 gallons of manure into a creek, killing over 110,000 fish. When Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina in 1999, at least five manure lagoons burst and approximately 47 lagoons were completely flooded. Runoff of chicken and hog waste from factory farms in Maryland and North Carolina is believed to have contributed to outbreaks of Pfiesteria piscicida, killing millions of fish and causing skin irritation, short-term memory loss and other cognitive problems in local people. Ammonia, a toxic form of nitrogen