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Sources of agricultural non-point pollution continue to be a major contributor to degradation of water quality in the Great Lakes Basin. These sources include sediment pollution from erosion and soil loss on active cropland, loss of riparian vegetation in pastures and the associated stream bank erosion, nutrient loading from the application of agricultural wastes, the spread of pathogens, and runoff containing pesticides. Prescribed Grazing Management has been shown to control and reduce all of the above-mentioned sources of agricultural pollution. The exclusion of livestock from streams, a required component of rotational grazing plans, furthers the re-establishment of riparian vegetation and eliminated the direct application of animal waste into water bodies. |
| Reduced bank erosion improves fisheries habitat and reduced nutrients introduced into the system are benefits from stream exclusion. These reductions are only realized when all of the components of a rotational grazing plan are installed and maintained. | |
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The practices that were planned for each of the farms
were designed for the main purpose of limiting or removing the livestock
access from the streams or water body adjacent to the rotationally
grazed pasture. The fences will allow for the regeneration of stream
side vegetation to act as a sediment and nutrient filter to the stream.
Revisions on some of the grazing system plans occurred during construction
of the systems. The final results of the seven systems being installed
include: |
