Agricultural Water Law in Maryland: The Water Appropriation Application Process and Use in a Time of Drought

To conserve and protect the State's water resources the State of Maryland controls the appropriation or use of its surface waters and groundwater. State law requires all agricultural operations to comply with the water appropriation permitting process, including traditional forms of agriculture, livestock and poultry operations, nursery operations and aquaculture.

Effects of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Poultry Litter Associated Contaminates on the Sexual Development of Xenopus laevis

Poultry litter contains high levels of natural sex hormones, nitrogen, phosphorous, and trace amounts of heavy metals. Poultry litter runoff from poultry and farming operations in the Delmarva region can have serious impacts on frog development in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In this study, we investigated potential effects of litter compounds on Xenopus laevis development when exposed to environmental levels (0.35 and 0.70 g/L) of litter solution. We found that despite rapid hormone degradation, poultry litter solution still affected X. laevis development. Hormones were also more persistent in the lower poultry litter concentration, leading to even greater effects. Slowed growth and increased female gonadal abnormalities were observed after exposure to 0.35 g/L but not to 0.70 g/L of litter solution, and increased male gonadal abnormalities were observed after treatment to both litter concentrations. The developmental impacts examined in this study may have greater environmental impacts on frog reproduction and survival.