BOISE, ID – Idaho has a growing and smelly problem: mountains of cow manure produced each year.

There are more than 1.4 million dairy cows and beef cattle in Idaho that produce nearly 70,000 tons of solid waste each day. Many of the cows are kept in concentrated animal feeding operations, which can crowd up to 100,000 cows into a single facility.

Josh Johnson, central Idaho director of the Idaho Conservation League, said runoff from the waste can contaminate drinking water or fuel toxic algae outbreaks.

“It is something that we do need to all be looking for solutions towards,” Johnson urged. “Because it is already affecting our water quality and will only continue to do so in the future if it’s left unaddressed.”

The dairy and cattle industries are a big part of Idaho’s economy, generating $6.7 billion in 2024. Cattle farms are mostly found in southern Idaho.

Johnson acknowledged there are hurdles to obtaining nutrient management plans. They provide information on how many cows are at a facility and the amount of waste it produces.

“Unfortunately, those nutrient management plans are considered trade secrets under Idaho code,” Johnson explained. “Therefore you or I cannot request those even through the formal public records request avenues.”

Johnson said Clean Water Act permits could also help in the regulation of cow waste, but none of the 274 concentrated feeding operations in Idaho have one. Waste presents a major problem for the farms. Johnson stressed his organization is interested in helping them find better ways to manage pollution.

“For example, take that manure and turn it into some kind of value-added product, like fertilizer pellets or things like that, that could be more easily shipped further afield,” Johnson suggested. “That would help distribute the waste and the nutrients associated with it, such that it’s not extra concentrated and causing problems here in Idaho.”