Livestock Management to Protect Riparian Areas - Part 2

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

We reported yesterday that rangeland managers can protect riparian areas by offering off-site water. But what if that’s not an option? Cooperative extension specialist Ken Tate says there are some other tools available.

Tate… “We can pull livestock to a place with off-site water with perhaps some supplemental feed or salt that they might need. A lot of our lives darker are deficient in selenium and other things. So they'll crave those types of supplements. And where you place them can help you manage livestock distribution and overcome their kind of inherent desire to seek out the riparian area. Because that's a great habitat for them as well.”

Something like a salt block can be a very inexpensive tool, but some areas might require more hands-on management.

Tate… “The age old tactic of herding. You know, if you've got large landscapes that aren't fenced. Herding livestock out of one valley or one meadow over a hill to another meadow, placing them and letting them settle. So that they're in a riparian area, but you're managing that time that they're spending there.”

Tate says fencing is also an option for some livestock managers.

Tate… “Temporary fencing or strategic fencing. Obviously, you know, kind of the final absolute is creation of something like a riparian pasture. Where you develop basically a fence around the riparian area. But you can set very clear management goals.”