The potential of off-stream livestock watering to reduce water quality impacts
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Authors: D. C. Godwin, and J. R. Miner
Date: 1996
Journal: Bioresource Technology
Volume: 58
Number: 3
Pages: 285-290
Summary of Methods: Three experiments along the Tualatin River Basin near Portland, Oregon and at the Oregon State University Dairy Research Center in Corvallis, Oregon examined animal usage of off stream watering sites for small commercial and non-commercial animal enterprises (SCAEs). The amount of time cattle spent streamside before and after being allowed access to a water pump was measured in August and September using four cows equipped with data loggers. Water consumption from an animal operated pasture pump was measured in August and September under three pasture treatments (access to wet pasture, access to only dry pasture, control-access to both). Animals also had free access to stream during all treatments. Third experiment examined the difference in daily water consumption from an animal operated pasture pump and a water trough of Holstein heifers on an irrigated pasture in July.
Article Summary / Main Points: Water pumps successfully reduced the amount of time animals in small herds spent in close proximity to streamside locations. Addition of offsite water sources reduced the amount of time animals spent streamside from 60 minutes/day to 15 minutes/day. Horses consumed 6.36 gallons/day when grazing both pastures and drinking only from the pasture pump, 3.06 gallons/day when grazing wet pasture with access to both creek and pump, and 5.35 gallons/day when grazing dry pasture with creek and pump access. Use of the water pump did not result in a decrease of water consumption for 27 heifers. Dehydration of animals was not observed as the larger group established a dominance hierarchy.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: 1 Northern Pacific Coast Range, Foothills, and Valleys
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Grazing
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: livestock grazing, riparian zones, water quality, manure, offsite watering, water quality
Annotation: Use of pasture pumps is an inexpensive alternative to fencing stream banks. Care should be taken in applying these findings to operations with more than just a few animals due to the volume of water required. The same two horses were used for all three runs of the second experiment which could have influenced the amount of water consumed from the pasture pump, due to familiarity. The specific reason (increased consumption of stream water, or increased moisture in plant vegetation) for decreased water while horses grazed wet pasture was unable to be determined. The small sample size and limited variation in pasture types warrants additional research to examine effects of stream types, variation in season, variation amongst animal behavior within species and breeds, types of stream access and trough placement.
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