MONROE COUNTY - A manure spill has occurred from the East Town Dairy, Cashton, a permitted dairy confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) along the Monroe-Vernon County line in the Monroe County Township of Jefferson, and the Vernon County Township of Christiana.

East Town Dairy, WPDES permit number 0062944, is a 1,273 animal unit dairy operation. The DNR’s website shows that their permit expired on July 31, 2017.

The dairy CAFO is operated by multiple generations of the Mlsna family, who have farmed the land for five generations, since 1903.

The spill occurred on Thursday, Jan. 4, and was observed and reported by a Vernon County Highway employee.

Monroe County Conservationist Bob Micheel reports that an estimated 2-3,000 gallons of liquid manure overflowed a manure flush flume, which was clogged either with frozen manure or sand. The manure ran across the farm yard into a dry wash along County Highway PC, and through a culvert, spreading over a pasture.

“The manure basically spread out over a pasture and froze,” Micheel reported. “The DNR’s Michelle Scarapace was involved in the investigation, and my office was notified.”

East Town Dairy is responsible for cleaning up the frozen manure by the end of this week. The dairy is located in the uplands, at the top of the West Fork of the Kickapoo watershed

“They’ll have to get that cleaned up or with the next thaw or rain event, that manure will run off into the West Fork of the Kickapoo,” Micheel said.