Best Management Practices

​Kentucky’s Agriculture Water Quality Authority has approved Best Management Practices (BMPs) to assist landowners as they work toward conserving Kentucky’s land and water. These BMPs are acceptable practices that could be implemented to protect water quality and promote soil conservation during agricultural and silvicultural activities. On this page, as well as in the Statewide Agriculture Water Quality Plan, the BMPs are categorized in six sections for ease of use. Each file below has information and examples about each BMP.

Silviculture:

BMP 1: Access Roads, Trails, and Landings
BMP 2: Revegetation of Silviculturally Disturbed Areas
BMP 3: Streamside Management Zones (SMZ)
BMP 4: Sinkholes, Sinking Streams, and Caves
BMP 5: Fluids and Trash
BMP 6: Proper Planting of Tree Seedlings by Machine
BMP 7: Fertilization
BMP 8: Application of Pesticides
BMP 9: Site Preparation for Reforestation
BMP 10: Silviculture in Wetland Areas

Pesticide and Fertilizer:

BMP 1: Storage of Dry Bulk Fertilizer
BMP 2: Storage of Liquid Bulk Fertilizer
BMP 3: Storage of Liquid and Dry Fertilizer (small quantities)
BMP 4: Storage of Dry Bulk Pesticides
BMP 5: Storage of Liquid Bulk Pesticides
BMP 6: Storage of Liquid and Dry Pesticides (small quantities)
BMP 7: Transport of Pesticides and Fertilizer
BMP 8: Mixing, Loading, and Handling of Pesticides and Fertilizers and Their Containers
BMP 9: Excess Pesticide Disposal
BMP 10: Pesticide and Fertilizer Container Disposal
BMP 11: Applying Pesticides

Farmstead:

BMP 1: Solid Waste Procedures
BMP 2: Septic Systems and On-Site Sewage Disposal
BMP 3: On-Farm Petroleum Storage and Handling
BMP 4: Well Protection
BMP 5: Water Harvesting
BMP 6: Backflow Prevention

Crops:

BMP 1: Conservation Cropping Sequence
BMP 2: Conservation Cover
BMP 3: Conservation Tillage and Crop Residue Use 
BMP 4: Contour Farming
BMP 5: Nutrient Management
BMP 6: Filter Strip
BMP 7: Grasses and Legumes in Rotation
BMP 8: Mulching
BMP 9: Pasture and Hayland Planting and Management
BMP 10: Stripcropping
BMP 11: Critical Area Planting and Treatment
BMP 12: Pest Management, Including Cultural Control
BMP 13: Cover Crops
BMP 14: Grassed Waterway
BMP 15: Water Control Structure
BMP 16: Precision Agriculture

Livestock:

BMP 1: Planned Grazing
BMP 2: Proper Stocking Density
BMP 3: Riparian Area Protection
BMP 4: Limiting Access to Surface Water
BMP 5: Manure Management Systems
BMP 6: Manure Storage Ponds
BMP 7: Manure Holding Tanks
BMP 8: Manure Treatment Lagoons
BMP 9: Sediment and Solids Separation Basins
BMP 10: Manure Stack Pads
BMP 11: Nutrient Management
BMP 12: Equine and Poultry Waste Feed
BMP 13: Filter Strips
BMP 14: Feeding and Heavy Use Management
BMP 15: Dead Animal Disposal
BMP 16: Milking Center Wastewater Treatment
BMP 17: Poultry Facility Siting and Land Application of On-Farm Generated Waste By-Products
BMP 18: Stormwater Management
BMP 19: Totally Covered Open Confinement

Streams and Other Waters

BMP 1: Stream Crossing for Farm Equipment
BMP 2: Sand and Gravel Removal
BMP 3: Streambank and Shoreline Protection
BMP 4: Proper Stream Drainage Maintenance