PASTURELAND MANAGEMENT

Some of the land located along the Bayou Vermilion has intensive pastureland grazing where cattle are allowed access to graze the riverbank vegetation and drink from the river.

Runoff from these lands contains excess amounts of fecal coliform and silt causing water pollution.

In addition, when cattle continuously graze the vegetation on the riverbanks, the “riparian” system becomes degraded.

This causes erosion rates to increase, and the pollution removal potential and buffering capacity decreases. During a storm event and times of high water, these type areas generate high amounts of silt loadings to the stream.

	We have been working with landowners along the Bayou to implement of agricultural management strategies to prevent these problems. Over the past 3 years, many of these landowners have agreed to let us install fences and drainage pipes installed at the edge of their properties.
	Fencing keeps cattle from consuming or trampling vegetation thereby saving the stream's natural protective blanket of vegetation and reducing its vulnerability to erosion. The vegetation along the stream bank is important. It not only covers the soil but also helps dissipate the energy of high water; slows runoff from surrounding pasture, crop fields, and feedlots; and absorbs or breaks down the nutrients and chemicals in runoff.
	Keeping cattle away from the Bayou also may reduce exposure to water-transmitted diseases and algal toxins, foot rot, leg injuries, drowning, and incidence of cattle stuck in mud. Furthermore, fencing cattle away from streams prevents the animals from defecating or urinating in the stream, which reduces bacterial pollution.

Benefits to Bayou Vermilion

Reduces direct and local fecal matter and associated nutrients and bacteria transport to Bayou.
Prevents streambank destabilization due to trampling and overgrazing of banks.
Prevents overgrazing of riparian vegetation

Benefits to Landowners

Reduces herd health risks associated with livestock standing in bacteria-contaminated water and climbing streambanks.

contact webmaster