Livestock Feedlots in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota

Two thresholds, two different regulators

Lac qui Parle County's own Feedlot Ordinance, originally adopted August 21, 1997 and amended in 2001, requires any feedlot site exceeding 50 animal units to register with the county. That registration requirement exists independently of -- and at a much lower threshold than -- the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's own permitting authority under MPCA Chapter 7020, which requires a state feedlot permit for sites over 1,000 animal units, with operations above that threshold also required to obtain a federal NPDES permit. In practice, this means a mid-sized livestock operation well under 1,000 animal units -- common in this part of the state -- is still subject to the county's registration requirement even though it will never trigger MPCA's own permit process. For a buyer, that means checking with the county specifically, not just assuming MPCA's higher permit threshold is the only regulatory bar to clear.

The county's Planning & Zoning office administers the local Feedlot Ordinance and registration process; for site-specific questions, the county's Feedlot Officer (reachable through Planning & Zoning) is the direct point of contact.

State setback rules apply regardless of which threshold you clear

Separately from the county's animal-unit registration threshold, MPCA Chapter 7020 sets specific siting setbacks that apply to any new animal feedlot or manure storage area, regardless of size. A new feedlot or manure storage area generally cannot be built within the applicable well isolation distance under Minn. R. 4725.4450, or within 100 feet of a water-supply well, whichever distance is greater. Near a public water supply, the setback is stricter still: a new feedlot or manure storage area cannot be built within shoreland or within 1,000 feet of a community water-supply well, or a well serving a public school, private school, or licensed child care center, where that well is considered vulnerable -- though an exception allows construction within that 1,000-foot radius if the Minnesota Department of Health has approved a drinking-water supply management area for the well and the new feedlot sits outside that management area and at least 200 feet from the well itself. A new feedlot or manure storage area also cannot be sited within a floodplain or within 300 feet of a sinkhole.

For a buyer evaluating farmland with an existing feedlot, or planning to establish a new one, these setbacks are worth checking against the specific parcel's wells (including neighboring wells) and any mapped floodplain or sinkhole -- a site that clears the county's 50-animal-unit registration threshold without issue can still run into one of these state siting rules once actual construction is planned.

Manure management plans and what to ask before buying

When a feedlot operator applies for an MPCA permit, they must develop and maintain a manure management plan (MMP) covering how manure is stored, handled, and land-applied, and anyone applying manure to cropland is separately required to observe application setbacks from water features. For a buyer purchasing land with an existing feedlot operation, or land onto which manure from a nearby operation is regularly applied, ask the seller or the county's Feedlot Officer whether a current MMP exists for the relevant operation and what setback and application practices it specifies -- this can affect both regulatory compliance and practical considerations like odor and nutrient management on adjoining cropland.

1. Ask Lac qui Parle County Planning & Zoning whether a feedlot on or near the parcel is currently registered, and at what animal-unit count.
2. Confirm the location of nearby wells (including neighboring properties’ wells), any mapped floodplain, and any known sinkhole against MPCA Chapter 7020’s setback distances before assuming a specific site can support a new or expanded feedlot.
3. If the operation is at or approaching 1,000 animal units, confirm current MPCA permit and NPDES status directly with MPCA rather than assuming county registration alone covers the operation.
4. Ask whether a current manure management plan exists for an operation on or near the parcel, and what application setbacks it specifies for nearby cropland.