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What Water Quality Records Dairies and Farms Should Keep
Well, lagoon, runoff, and field sampling records — what to track, how long to keep them, and how to organize results.
Water quality compliance depends on showing what was sampled, when, where, and what you did with the results.
Records to maintain
- Sample location — well ID, lagoon, field edge, or facility point on a map
- Sample metadata — date, depth, lab, analyte panel, chain of custody
- Results — values, detection limits, exceedances flagged
- Follow-up — resamples, corrective actions, and communication with regulators
- Trend context — prior results at the same location for comparison
Organization tips
Group records by location first, not by year folder. When a reviewer asks about Well 3, you should pull three years of history in one view.
For nutrient management planning support, see nutrient management consulting at Icon Ag.
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