Dane County Land & Water Resources Department

Nutrient Management

Nutrient management involves planning for the use of manure and other fertilizers to meet crop nutrient needs in an economical way while reducing the potential for nutrient runoff from fields into lakes, streams and groundwater.

A nutrient management plan is a tool that helps producers address nutrient management planning using the 4 R's of nutrient stewardship, including:

Right source: fertilizer type matches the needs of different kinds of crops
Right time: nutrients are available in the soil when crops need them
Right rate: using an appropriate amount for the actual needs of crops
Right place: application keeps nutrients in the fields where they are used

A nutrient management plan includes information such as soil test reports, manure inventory, nutrient crediting, manure and commercial nutrient spreading plan, conservation plan, field and restriction maps, and a Winter Spreading Permit (if needed). Cost-share assistance may be available to develop a plan.

All producers who apply nutrients to cropland are required to have a nutrient management plan. Annual updates are due June 1st.

Applicability Submit a Plan Resources

Applicability

All producers who apply nutrients to cropland are required to have a nutrient management plan.

Submit a Plan

Land Conservation staff review Nutrient Management Plans. Annual updates are due June 1st. Starting in 2027, plans will be due on April 15th.

Steps to Submit:

Complete the following items:
- Nutrient Management Plan Checklist (PDF)
- Nutrient Management Plan, including SnapPlus database
Submit all completed documents and databases via:
- Email documents to: nmp@danecounty.gov (< 10 MB file size)
- Upload documents to: LCD File Transfer Site
Share plan with Dane County using SnapPlus V3 following the steps below:
- Archive the Plan: Navigate to the Farm page and select the Archived Versions tab. Click Archive Farm.
- Name the File: Ensure the archive plan name includes the Farmer or Farm Name.
- Request Review: Once archived, click Request Review.
- Select Recipient: Choose Dane County-LCD (ID# 7982171) from the user group list.
- Set Permissions: Set permissions to Read Only (verify that maps are included).
- Submit: Select the correct plan year and click Send Request.
- Send the signed checklist to nmp@danecounty.gov.
  Note: Your plan will show a Pending status until it has been received or reviewed by our office.

Multi-County Submissions:

Does your operation cross county lines? While you only need to create one plan, you must submit it to all involved counties. When sharing via SnapPlus V3, please repeat the "Request Review" step for each County user group.

Resources

Cost-share Funding (Nutrient Management Program) may be available to develop a plan.
Wisconsin Manure Management Advisory System (DATCP)
590 Nutrient Management Technical Standard (PDF)
Snap Plus Nutrient Management Software (University of Wisconsin) - free program available to aid in the development of a nutrient management plan

Contact Staff

For any questions regarding nutrient management plans, please feel free to reach out to Dane County staff. To find the staff contact in your area, view the Staff Contact Map. If you can’t tell who your staff contact should be, please email Land Conservation Division landcon@danecounty.gov or call the office (608) 224-3730.

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