Groundwater Program

Groundwater Protection

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture serves as the contact between North Dakota and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for protecting groundwater from pesticides.

The department has formed a working committee that has assisted in developing an EPA approved Generic State Management Plan (GSMP). This plan outlines the strategy to prevent degradation of groundwater by pesticides while protecting the beneficial uses of pesticides. It is designed to protect groundwater quality, encourage pesticide user education, and provide technical assistance.

An interactive mapping program to assist pesticide applicators determine the potential of pesticides to contaminate the groundwater is now available statewide.   There are two sites that you can use.  The first site lets you select and go directly to a county:  ND Pesticide Sensitivity Mapping by county map and the other site starts statewide and allows you to zoom down to a specific site: ND Pesticide Sensitivity Mapping.

To use these web pages, select a particular pesticide, and then find the site on the map where you plan to apply the pesticide. The colors of the map will indicate the potential of that pesticide to contaminate groundwater. Areas in red have the highest potential; yellow areas have intermediate potential, and green areas have low potential. Areas with no aquifers are white. If you “zoom” into an area of one-square mile or less on the map, the display will also indicate why the area has a specific contamination potential.

Additional publications and links on groundwater protection can be found by clicking on the following links:

State Generic Management Plan

Protecting Groundwater from Pesticide Contamination NDSU AE-1197

Pesticide Sensitivity mapping program

What is the BMP Selection Process for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE-1110

How is the Assessment Process for Groundwater Contamination from Pesticides Used for BMP Selection NDSU AE 1111

Farmstead BMP Recommendations for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE1112

Improved Pesticide Application BMPs for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE1113

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) BMPs for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE1114

Soil and Water Conservation BMPs for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE-1115

Irrigation BMPs for Groundwater Protection from Pesticides NDSU AE-1116

For more information, contact:

Judy Carlson
ND Department of Agriculture
600 E Boulevard Dept 602
Bismarck ND 58505-0020
Phone: (701) 328-4997
FAX: (701) 328-2240
E-mail: jcarlson@nd.gov