Are you looking to incorporate fill dirt to level off or fill ruts in your crop field(s) or pasture(s), etc.? Have you everbeen approached about receiving fill dirt?

Before receiving fill dirt to improve your crop field(s) and/or pasture(s), you need to be aware of the allowableamount of fill dirt that may be hauled onto your farm.

If you have these types of questions, Harford Soil Conservation District (HSCD) is here to guide and assistyou.

For instance, based on Maryland State Law, an individual is exempt from the sediment control regulations if you keep the total disturbance to 5,000 square feet or less and total borrow / fill area to 100 cubic yards or less.Technically, anything above each of these figures will require a soil erosion and sediment control plan and agrading permit through your local municipality.

However, there are parameters to allow HSCD assist a landowner to receive fill dirt for ag- related activities.

If your intended use of fill dirt is for an ag-related activity (e.g., filling ruts, depressions, and/or leveling off a crop fieldand/or pasture), you may qualify to use a “Agricultural Fill Operation Form” (AFOF) provided through HSCD.

To qualify to use the AFOF, your farm must have an active soil conservation and water quality (SCWQ) plan.The SCWQ plan will be updated with an appropriate best management practice code(s) to account for theintended use of the fill dirt for the ag-related activity. (Fill dirt may not contain building debris, trash, etc.)

An AFOF is only applicable for ag-related filling operations, not exceeding the following limits:

• 1,000 cubic yards (approximately 100 dump truck loads)
• 1 acre of disturbance
• 10 feet of vertical change

For more information, please contact the HSCD for assistance.