These herbicides cannot be applied within 66 feet of the points where field surface water runoff enters perennial or intermittent streams and rivers or within 200 feet of lakes or reservoirs. Herbicides containing atrazine may not be mixed or loaded within 50 feet of perennial or intermittent streams, rivers, lakes or reservoirs.Read labels carefully and consult a specialist from a MSU Extension office or your pesticide dealer, if necessary. Choose herbicides with the least potential for leaching into groundwater or for runoff into surface water. Remember, herbicides that are highly soluble, relatively stable and not readily adsorbed to soil tend to be the most likely to leach. Michigan State University Extension recommends that farms consider the following steps when choosing and applying herbicides: The challenge that farms face in using these chemicals is the effect they may have on the environment. Herbicides are a necessary tool that many farms utilize for pest control.
