Transcript Managing Cattle for Wetland’s Protection

Pete Deal, Rangeland Management Specialist,
USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
Wetlands Extremely Valuable
 Drinking water for cattle and wildlife.
 Habitat for native plants and wildlife.
 Contribute to groundwater recharge.
 Filtration and cleansing of pollutants from surface
waters
 Stormwater and flood control.
 Storing water in times of drought
Wetlands on Working Ranches
 Often well-preserved when managed on cattle operations.
 With proper management, these wetlands are better off
with cattle than without.
 Studies at the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center
indicate that proper grazing may actually help control
invasion of woody and shrub species and may also enhance
plant species diversity.
 A California study indicated that grazing helped maintain
native plant and aquatic diversity in wetlands.
 More information is needed on the effects of cattle on
these wetlands.
Wetlands are Complex Ecosystems
 Provide a link between aquatic and terrestrial environments.
 Wetlands are areas that are inundated or saturated by surface
water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to
support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a
prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soils.
 Florida wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bayheads,
bogs, cypress domes and strands, sloughs, wet prairies, riverine
swamps, hydric seepage slopes, tidal marshes, mangrove swamps
and other similar areas.
 Wetlands typically occur on low landform areas with seasonal or
permanent standing water. Sometimes wetlands occur on slopes
where a layer of rock or clay forces groundwater to the surface.
Wetlands are Dynamic Systems
 That change through time.
 Change is normal and expected.
 Change may occur so slowly that it appears unnoticeable.
 Natural processes are constantly at work.
 Ponds and lakes slowly fill up and become swamps. Swamps
become bogs. Ultimately, they turn into beds of peat.
 When drained, they will go back to swamps and open water.
 Wetland protection is protecting them from changes caused by
human actions.
 Protection is important so wetlands may continue to function as
natural systems.
What can Ranchers do
 Implement the Water Quality BMPs.
 Implementing practical alternatives or modifications
eliminate or reduce adverse impacts to wetlands.
 Adverse impacts to wetlands include:
 Drainage,
 Changes to the vegetation and
 Impacts to water quality.
Water Quality Best Management Practices
for Florida Cow-calf Operations Manual
 Created by Florida Cattlemen for Florida Cattlemen.
 These Best Management Practices center on:
 Wetland protection
 Impact avoidance
 Water quality treatment and field discharges.
 The practices in the Manual were selected because
they are effective and cost effective.
Protect Wetlands and Avoid
Impacts
 Identify the wetlands or hydric soil types and/or other
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depressional frequently flooded areas on your ranches.
Reference county soil survey maps.
Work with USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS)
NRCS is there to help you develop and implement
plans that protect the Nation’s natural resources.
Create your own soil survey of your ranch using the
Web Soil Survey
http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm
Have a Plan
 A simple plan can be created using five basic steps.
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5.
Identify problems and/or opportunities.
Develop alternatives to address the problems or
opportunities.
Evaluate the alternatives and select the ones that
meet your goals and objectives.
Implement the selected alternatives.
Re-evaluate the plan and modify it as needed.
For Assistance
 Local Ag Extension Agent.
 Florida Dept. of Agriculture.
 Local USDA-NRCS office.
 Locate the local USDA-NRCS office at this website:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/contact/local/
 You may be eligible for financial assistance through some of the
USDA Conservation Programs.
 To find out more about the USDA Conservation Programs visit the
2014Farm Bill website at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/farmbill/
Use of Wetlands by Grazing
Animals
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Perception that animals produce nutrients that pollute wetlands.
Animals do not produce nutrients!
Animals consume, excrete, move and retain nutrients.
All nutrients excreted by animals come from natural or human
sources.
 Humans who manage the ranch can manage the amount and
location of nutrients livestock excrete.
 Reduce the amount of nutrients imported as feed or fertilizer.
 This will reduce the potential for nutrients to impair wetlands.
 Managing the time animals are in wetlands will reduce the potential
for problems
 Refer to page 13 of the BMP Manual.
Animal Deposition
 Animals excrete most of the nutrients they consume.
 A small amount is retained as flesh, bone and blood.
 Remainder is excreted in proportion to the time an
animal spends in a location.
 Animals that spend 100% percent of their time in or
near wetlands will excrete all of their excess nutrients
in or near wetlands.
 Animals that spend 25% of their in wetlands will only
deposit 25% of the nutrients they excrete in wetlands.
Management That Works
 Use of alternative cattle water sources
 Strategically locate sources such as upland excavated ponds,
artesian wells, watering troughs, and/or other surface water sources
that provide adequate drinking water away from more sensitive
areas.
 Use fences to manage the distribution of livestock and facilitate a
managed grazing system.
 Properly located fences allow the manager to limit the time animals
are in or near wetlands.
 Can reduce the amount of time animals spend loitering in wetlands.
 Allows time for the vegetation to recover between grazing events.
 Implement a nutrient management plan.
 Reduce the use of fertilizer.
 Basing fertilizer applications on soil test results.
 Sediment and erosion control measures should be implemented
whenever there is a potential for erosion to occur.
Use Filter Strips or Buffers
 Maintain a 20-30-foot vegetative buffer between wetlands and
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upland pastures or cropland.
NRCS defines a buffer as a strip or area of herbaceous vegetation
that removes contaminants from overland flow.
Buffers should be designed based on the slope.
Follow all stipulations regarding buffers prescribed in your water
management district permit.
Typically, filter/buffer strips are not fertilized.
 Fertilizer may be needed to promote vigorous vegetation.
The purpose is to decrease the velocity of runoff water and
remove sediment particles, organic material, nutrients and
pesticides.
Get a Wetland Determination
 Always !!!!
 Get a wetland determination prior to conducting any
activities in a wetland.
 Stiff penalties for digging in or filling wetlands.
 May be a fine for violating the Clean Water Act.
 May make you ineligible for USDA benefits.
 Contacting your local USDA NRCS office.
 Or use a qualified consultant.
 The bottom-line is: Don’t go digging up your wetland
without talking to your NRCS folks.
Minimize the Potential for a
Problem
 Water quality impacts to wetlands can be minimized
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by using practices such as:
Nutrient management.
Filter strips.
Conservation buffers.
Swales or holding water onsite.
 These can substantially reduce pollutants, especially
suspended solids, and allow wetlands to more naturally
assimilate nutrients.
Grazing Management
 Can minimize water quality impacts.
 Pasture systems require good management to achieve
optimal productivity forages and utilization.
 Manage the livestock to benefit the vegetation and the
livestock for optimum productivity.
 Correctly managed, a grazing system maintains the
vegetation in good condition to supply ample feed and
reduce erosion.
 Rotate livestock through the pastures at a pace that
promotes herbaceous vegetation and provides an adequate
recovery period between grazing events.
Source Reduction
 Limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers in and
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around wetlands.
Avoid spray drift impacts.
Use properly labeled herbicides when using herbicides
in or near wetlands.
Herbicides labelled for use in wetlands have been
thoroughly tested.
Properly labelled herbicides will generally not create
water quality problems.
Cowboy up for Conservation.
It can Save Your Grass!
 The bottom-line is:
 Know your ranch.
 Identify the problems.
 Develop a plan.
 Implement the appropriate Best Management
Practices for your ranch.
For More information, Contact
 If you would like assistance from the Florida
Agricultural Extension Service please contact:
Bridget Carlisle, Livestock Forage Agent, (863) 519-1048 or
[email protected]
 If you would like to receive assistance from the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service:
Pete Deal, Rangeland Management Specialist, (407) 8474465 ext. 107 or [email protected].