The goal of the CAFO program is to reduce the discharge of pollutants to surface waters of the state from these types of facilities. A CAFO is an animal feeding operation that is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. The NPDES program regulates discharges from point sources to surface waters, and under the Clean Water Act, CAFOs are considered point sources of pollution.

View Michigan's Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) dashboard. This map's data is available as a table for download at our Maps and Data Portal.

Who to contact by area: CAFO Staff Map

Rules and Regulations

• Act 451 of 1994
• Part 31 Statute
• Part 21 Rules
• Part 4 Rules
• Part 22 Rules
• Federal Requirements and Guidance Documents

General Permits

• General Permit - 2015
• General Permit - 2020

General Information

• How to Apply for an NPDES Permit
• MiEnviro Permitting System Information
• MiEnviro Application
• Anaerobic Digesters - Part 31 Permitting and CAFOs Frequently Asked Questions
• NRCS Waste Storage Facility Practice Standard No. 313
• NRCS Waste Facility Closure Practice Standard No. 360
• GACO for CAFOs with Digesters Owned by a Separate Entity ACO-CG-22-400 accessible (4/13/2023)
• GACO for CAFOs with Digesters Owned by a Separate Entity ACO-CG-22-400 original (4/13/2023)

CAFO Guidance Documents

• How to use ArcGIS, MS Excel, or Google Earth to upload CAFO Land Application Fields and Tile Outlets to MiEnviro
• Discharge Sampling Plan Guidance
• Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Guidance
• Michigan Phosphorus Risk Assessment (MPRA) Guidance
• MPRA Application Spreadsheet Example
• Guidance for fulfilling compliance with Part 22
• Guidance #1: Depth Gauge, 2-2008
• Guidance #2: Manifesting, 3-2008
• Determining Precipitation Forecasts for CAFO Permits
• Discharge Sampling Plan Guidance for CAFOs and Recipients of CAFO Manifested Waste
• Discharge Event Sampling Guidance for CAFOs

Manure and Soil Sampling Guidance

• Manure Sampling for Nutrient Analysis - North Central Regional Extension Publication #567
• Sampling Soils for Fertilizers and Lime Recommendations - Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E498
• Sampling Soils for Fertilizers and Lime Recommendations, Addendum, - Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E498S
• Nutrient Recommendations for Field Crops in Michigan - Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E2904
• Guidelines for Manure Application Rates - University of Minnesota Extension Bulletin
• Nutrient Application Guidelines for field, vegetable, and fruit crops in Wisconsin - University of Wisconsin Extension Bulletin A2809

Environmental Performance Equivalencies

• Synthetic Structure Evaluation
• Natural Clay Structure Evaluation
• Compacted Earth Structure Evaluation
• Concrete Lined Structure Evaluation
• Synthetic - Concrete Structure Evaluation
• Reinforced Concrete Structure Evaluation
• Steel Storage Structure Evaluation
• Solid - Dry Stack Structure Evaluation

Forms and Templates

• CNMP Guidance Template
• CNMP Appendices Template
• Daily Land Application Form
• Manifest for CAFO Waste
• CAFO Discharge Reporting Form
• Weekly CAFO Inspection Record
• CAFO Inspection Report

Helpful Links

• Groundwater Discharge (Michigan.gov)
• NRCS Practice Standards (Field Office Technical Guide - FOTG)
• EPA CAFO website
• MDARD
• EGLE Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Information Page
• TMDL Watersheds Screening Tool (arcgis.com)

Complaints regarding discharges or other environmental problems should be directed to the appropriate district office for the county where the problem exists. District office contact information can be found here:  CAFO Staff Map. You may also call the 24-hour Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS) at: 800-292-4706 especially if the situation is an environmental emergency or the complaint needs to be made outside normal business hours.