Dear Youngman:

Greetings.  The rains here continue.  We walked out during a particularly
heavy downpour and surveyed the land drainage.  The sump pump was in
working order churning out a steady stream of water into the bog which,
along with other waterways, made their way to the storm drain.  All of
that was fine.

We walked back to see what was happening at the side of the shed.  On the
way back, I was horrified.  Water gushed all around the compost pile and
made its way to the drain--

leaching the nutrients out and ultimately into our state water system. 
Nitrogen, phosphorus and other excess nutrients are hard on the streams
and rivers where living things are deprived of oxygen.  Add those rich
nutrients to the pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, and farm run off
that flows into the water system from upstate and maybe even Pennsylvania.
 We must make some changes.  The least of my concerns is that the
nutrients of my pile are being washed away.

I identified fairly dry areas in the back (the compost pile, shed, etc.
are all located in a wooded area of the backyard) and also spotted
branches and logs that I can arrange as a platform to put the compost on. 
The anaerobic pile in the trash can (fairly hidden by lattice) cause no
problem because it is contained (it's stinky when you open it, but fast). 
I will think this through and execute a plan asap.  If you have any
suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

I've read that on a homestead, you don't want your manure piles within
100-150' of your water.  Are there special protocols that you have to
observe having well water?

The scriptures direct us to be diligent to know the state of our flocks. 
This has awakened in me a mind to pay attention to what is happening
around me.

Mephibosheth