Roofs and Covers (NRCS #367)

Applicable Systems

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About

Roofs and Covers¹ is an NRCS Conservation Practice that consists of a structure built to cover on-farm facilities that handle waste management, agrichemical, and other potential contaminants.

Key aspects and considerations:

Cover structures can be rigid, semirigid, or flexible.
Plan, design, and construction need to attend to laws and regulations.
Attend to operation and maintenance access, venting, and safety.
Must resist wind, snow, and heavy rainfall.
Built to last at least 10 years.

Benefits and Limitations

ACRE Category	Benefits	Limitations
Soil Health	Protect soil quality by excluding precipitation from contacting manure, compost, feed, or waste storage facility, thus minimizing runoff and stormwater infiltration.	N/A
Water Management	Protect water quality by preventing precipitation from entering waste storage facility. Minimize runoff and stormwater infiltration. Reduce incidence of overflow and associated contaminants.	Does not treat contaminated water already present.
Nutrient Management	Reduce nutrient loss from biomass in runoff. Waste facility covers that capture biogas may reduce nutrient volatilization of the stored manure or waste. Preserve nutrient concentration by reducing dilution due to water infiltration.	N/A
Agricultural Production	Improve waste management and utilization. Suitable for animal feeding operations, manure storage facilities, composting sites, and agrichemical containment facilities.	Not applicable to all agricultural operations.
Biodiversity and Wildlife	N/A	N/A
GHG Emission	Waste facility covers that capture biogas help to reduce GHG emissions and odorous gases. Covering solid materials protects those materials from erosive wind forces and reduces emissions of particulate matter. Improve air quality by reducing odors associated with waste storage/treatment facilities and GHG emissions.	Covers used for biogas collection require additional safety measures due to flammable gases and confined-space hazards.
Economics	Can improve fertilizer value because of preservation of nutrient concentration. Can improve overall waste management efficiency and reduce hauling frequency. Captured biogas reduces reliance on external fuel sources and can be reverted to extra revenue. See NRCS CPS Anaerobic Digester (Code 366).	Initial construction costs can be substantial, especially for large storage structures. Biogas capture systems add complexity, safety requirements, and maintenance costs.

Impact on Agricultural Resilience

Improves community resilience in areas where air quality can affect human and animal health.
Extra revenue from facilities that capture biogas can increase resilience of rural families.

Regional Applicability

Wisconsin NRCS (2023) published a Functional Review Guidance Roofs and Covers (Code 367) to support agency reviewers in analyzing proposals regarding Risk Category, Snow Exposure Factor, Snow Load Importance Factor, Thermal Factor, and Enclosure Classification.
The Roofs and Covers (367) Engineering Practice Planning Guide helps plan confinement barns in North Dakota. The practice is an alternative to address surface water contamination and preserve shallow glacial drift aquifers that occur in the region.

Resources

Video. USDA NRCS: Roofs and Covers
Video. SmartShelter: Compost Barn Testimonial. Scott & Jan tell the benefits of having an indoor barn system for his cattle.
Maryland Department of Agriculture, Office of Resource Conservation: Roofs and Covers (Code 367) and Provisions for Heavy Use Area Protection (561), and/or, Roofs and Covers (367)

References

USDA-NRCS (2023). Conservation Practice Standard Document, Roofs and Covers, Code 367. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/367-NHCP-CPS-Roofs-and-Covers-2023.pdf
USDA-NRCS (2023). Conservation Practice Overview, Roofs and Covers (Code 367). https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/367_NHCP_PO_Roof_and_Covers_2023.pdf
USDA-NRCS (2022). Operation & Maintenance Plan. Roofs and Covers (Code 367). https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/api/CPSFile/34903/367_MN_OM_Roofs_and_Covers_2017

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Roofs and Covers photo 1 — Photo 1: Covers used in anaerobic digestor in dairy farms to produce energy for the animals.

USDA photo by Bob Nichols.

Roofs and Covers photo 2 — Photo 2: Dairy barn with roof cover.

Iowa NRCS by Jason Johnson.