Zoom in and click on points to see location-specific attributes documenting the expansion of animal feeding operations in the Maumee River Basin between 2005 and 2018. EWG derived animal feeding facility locations from high-resolution satellite data and aerial photography. Those locations were tracked in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018 to determine approximately when the operation appeared on the landscape.
Points are sized by their relative contribution of phosphorus. Small points are < 25 tons of phosphorus per year, and large points are >= 25 tons of phosphorus per year.
To estimate animal counts with manure and nutrient outputs, analysts from EWG and the Environmental Law and Policy Center used the square footage of barns coupled with data from the Midwest Planning Service, USDA’s Census of Agriculture and other industry guidelines to determine predominant animal types and their associated metrics. Permitted animal feeding operation locations, as of March 2018, came from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. To see the full methodology, click here.
