ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Centerfor Appropriate Technology through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service USDepartment of Agriculture These organizations do not recommend or endorse products companiesor individuals NCAT has offices in Fayetteville Arkansas (PO Box 3657 Fayetteville AR 72702)Butte Montana and Davis California

By Barbara C BellowsNCAT Agriculture SpecialistJune 2003

LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS GUIDE

MANAGED GRAZING

IN RIPARIAN AREAS

Abstract This publication is designed to help farmers and ranchers identify and use locally appropriate grazingpractices to protect riparian resources Methods for protecting these environmentally fragile areas includekeeping livestock from streambanks properly resting pastures to restore degraded land and determining theproper duration and season for grazing pastures It examines adjusting general recommendations to fit yourparticular management objectives and environmental conditions

IntroductionMost riparian areas in the US

evolved with animals feeding on the lushvegetation and trampling on thestreambanks to get to water Althoughthe original grazers were bison mooseand deer rather than cattle sheep andgoats this evolutionary pressure meansthat most native riparian plant speciesregrow following a period of grazing(Mosley et al 1998 Ohmart 1996) Whenfarmers and ranchers displaced these oc-casional grazers with continuously graz-ing livestock riparian areas sufferedProvided with limited grazing area andlittle stimulus to move from one areato another continuously grazed live-stock trampled streambanks congre-gated in the shade and cool breezes nextto streams and overgrazed the lush veg-etation in these fertile areas

Related ATTRA Publications Protecting Riparian Areas Farmland Management

Strategies Sustainable Pasture Management Rotational Grazing Nutrient Cycling in Pastures Assessing the Pasture Soil Resource Matching Livestock and Forage Resources in

Controlled Grazing Grazing Networks for Livestock Producers

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 2

Of the original riparian habitats in the western US The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) andthe US Forest Service have estimated that only 20 still exist They further noted that 46 of theriparian areas managed by the BLM were functioning at risk another 20 were non-functioningand that riparian areas continue to decline In large part they attributed this decline in riparianhealth to the increased number of cattle on western rangelands (Belsky et al 1999)

Nationwide the National Research Council (NRC 2002) with help from seven federal agenciesconducted a comprehensive study of riparian areas that found

Traditional agriculture is probably thelargest contributor to the decline of ripar-ian areas The primary effects of live-stock grazing include the removal andtrampling of vegetation compaction ofunderlying soils and dispersal of exoticplant species and pathogens Grazingcan also alter both hydrologic and fire dis-turbance regimes accelerate erosionand reduce plant or animal reproductivesuccess and or establishment of plantsLong-term cumulative effects of domes-tic livestock grazing involve changes inthe structure composition and produc-tivity of plants and animals at communityecosystem and landscape scales

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Upland Land Management Practices and Riparian Area Protection 3

Table 1 Comparison of Management Intensive and Extensive Grazing Practices 4

Managed Grazing for Riparian Protection 5

Table 2 Unmanaged Grazing Impacts on Riparian Structure and Function 6

Table 3 Riparian Management Guidelines 9

Table 4 Managed Riparian Grazing Systems 12

Table 5 Appropriate Times for Grazing as Affected by Local Environmental Conditions 16

Summary 17

Recommended References 18

References 24

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 3

Management intensive or rotational grazingseeks to protect land resources by mimicking theactivities of wildlife Instead of a herd of ani-mals spreading out across a large pasture andgrazing it throughout the season or year live-stock are grouped together and forced to graze asmall pasture or paddock for a limited amount oftime When they have eaten about half the grassin the paddock they are moved to another pad-dock and not allowed to return to the first pad-dock until the forage has grown back

Research studies show that managed graz-ing can simultaneously enhance farm productiv-ity decrease input expenses and protect the en-vironmental conditions on the farm (Macon 2002Herrick et al 2002 Paine et al 1999 Berton1998) Even government agencies and environ-mentalists who implicate continuous grazing asa primary cause of riparian degradation now joinwith farmers and ranchers in promoting managedrotational grazing as a way to protect riparianareas (Lyons et al 2000 Moseley et al 1998Leonard et al 1997 Elmore 1992)

Brush and weed management is the greatestpotential environmental benefit that managedgrazing provides to riparian areas In Wiscon-sin fisheries managers often contract with farm-ers to rotationally graze riparian areas Brushremoval by cattle maintains grassy buffers thatare more effective in protecting water quality andproviding fish habitat than are some woody buff-ers (L Paine personal communication) In vari-ous locations goats are used to control noxiousweeds and non-native brush species in riparianareas allowing for the growth of plants that pro-vide healthy riparian conditions (Pittroff 2001Luginbuhl et al 2000)

This publication provides guidelines for us-ing managed grazing to protect riparian areasThese guidelines are based on the understand-ing that upland and riparian areas are not mutu-ally exclusive systems but are interrelated partsof the watershed Thus the riparian grazing prac-tices discussed here work together with manage-ment intensive grazing of upland areas to main-tain farm productivity economic viability andenvironmental health If you are not already fa-miliar with rotational grazing Table 1 provides acomparison of rotational and continuous grazingmethods I also recommend that you refer to thefollowing ATTRA publications prior to imple-menting practices discussed here

Sustainable Pasture Management

Rotational Grazing

Matching Livestock and Forage Resources inControlled Grazing

Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

Assessing the Pasture Soil ResourceAlso prior to reading this publication you

may want to read the ATTRA publication Pro-tecting Riparian Areas Farmland Management Strat-egies for background information on the struc-ture and function of riparian areas and how theyprovide environmental social and economic ben-efits

Upland Land ManagementPractices and Riparian

Area ProtectionAs discussed in the ATTRA publication Pro-

tecting Riparian Areas Farmland Management Strat-egies good soil and water conservation practiceson upland areas represent the first and perhapsthe most critical step for the protection of ripar-ian areas Healthy riparian areas are able to cap-ture runoff water filter out sediments recyclenutrients decrease pathogen populations anddegrade some toxic chemicals However uplandareas with bare ground eroded land and com-pacted soil limit the ability of riparian areas toperform these functions Concentrated runofffrom degraded upland areas can flatten riparianvegetation and wash in seeds of invasive or up-land plants that compete with native riparianplant species while eroded sediments can burypreferred water-loving vegetation (Debano andSchmidt 1989) Runoff water can also contami-nate riparian areas and streams with nutrientsand pathogens carried in from agricultural areasor septic systems

Unmanaged livestock grazing can degradeupland areas in three major ways Livestock compact soil by trampling it mak-

ing paths or repeately congregating in thesame areas

Livestock without sufficient or good-qualityforage will feed selectively on their preferredforages reducing the ability of those species

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 3

Management intensive or rotational grazingseeks to protect land resources by mimicking theactivities of wildlife Instead of a herd of ani-mals spreading out across a large pasture andgrazing it throughout the season or year live-stock are grouped together and forced to graze asmall pasture or paddock for a limited amount oftime When they have eaten about half the grassin the paddock they are moved to another pad-dock and not allowed to return to the first pad-dock until the forage has grown back

Research studies show that managed graz-ing can simultaneously enhance farm productiv-ity decrease input expenses and protect the en-vironmental conditions on the farm (Macon 2002Herrick et al 2002 Paine et al 1999 Berton1998) Even government agencies and environ-mentalists who implicate continuous grazing asa primary cause of riparian degradation now joinwith farmers and ranchers in promoting managedrotational grazing as a way to protect riparianareas (Lyons et al 2000 Moseley et al 1998Leonard et al 1997 Elmore 1992)

Brush and weed management is the greatestpotential environmental benefit that managedgrazing provides to riparian areas In Wiscon-sin fisheries managers often contract with farm-ers to rotationally graze riparian areas Brushremoval by cattle maintains grassy buffers thatare more effective in protecting water quality andproviding fish habitat than are some woody buff-ers (L Paine personal communication) In vari-ous locations goats are used to control noxiousweeds and non-native brush species in riparianareas allowing for the growth of plants that pro-vide healthy riparian conditions (Pittroff 2001Luginbuhl et al 2000)

This publication provides guidelines for us-ing managed grazing to protect riparian areasThese guidelines are based on the understand-ing that upland and riparian areas are not mutu-ally exclusive systems but are interrelated partsof the watershed Thus the riparian grazing prac-tices discussed here work together with manage-ment intensive grazing of upland areas to main-tain farm productivity economic viability andenvironmental health If you are not already fa-miliar with rotational grazing Table 1 provides acomparison of rotational and continuous grazingmethods I also recommend that you refer to thefollowing ATTRA publications prior to imple-menting practices discussed here

Sustainable Pasture Management

Rotational Grazing

Matching Livestock and Forage Resources inControlled Grazing

Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

Assessing the Pasture Soil ResourceAlso prior to reading this publication you

may want to read the ATTRA publication Pro-tecting Riparian Areas Farmland Management Strat-egies for background information on the struc-ture and function of riparian areas and how theyprovide environmental social and economic ben-efits

Upland Land ManagementPractices and Riparian

Area ProtectionAs discussed in the ATTRA publication Pro-

tecting Riparian Areas Farmland Management Strat-egies good soil and water conservation practiceson upland areas represent the first and perhapsthe most critical step for the protection of ripar-ian areas Healthy riparian areas are able to cap-ture runoff water filter out sediments recyclenutrients decrease pathogen populations anddegrade some toxic chemicals However uplandareas with bare ground eroded land and com-pacted soil limit the ability of riparian areas toperform these functions Concentrated runofffrom degraded upland areas can flatten riparianvegetation and wash in seeds of invasive or up-land plants that compete with native riparianplant species while eroded sediments can burypreferred water-loving vegetation (Debano andSchmidt 1989) Runoff water can also contami-nate riparian areas and streams with nutrientsand pathogens carried in from agricultural areasor septic systems

Unmanaged livestock grazing can degradeupland areas in three major ways Livestock compact soil by trampling it mak-

ing paths or repeately congregating in thesame areas

Livestock without sufficient or good-qualityforage will feed selectively on their preferredforages reducing the ability of those species

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 4

Table 1 Comparison of Management Intensive andExtensive Grazing Practices

__________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Sources Angermeier 1997 Elmore 1992 Clary and Webster 1989

Extensive Grazing

livestock grazed in a large un-divided pasture or range

livestock graze continually for anentire season within the samearea

animals graze on the samepasture during the same sea-son year after year

monitoring forage use is minimal forage management focus is on

whether to cut fertilize or spraypasture

pastures are not usually rested

water troughs or other watersystems usually not provided

livestock usually dependent onstreams for drinking water

animals have access tostreambanks throughout the year

environmentally sensitive areasare not protected

large pastures permit animals tomove around large areas at will

animals are not discouragedfrom congregating for long timesin one location

managers usually use techno-logical fixes to address prob-lems in pastures

production problems addressedafter problem is observed

management methods focus ontreatments such as spraying orfertilizing

Management Intensive Grazing

numerous small pastures or paddocks flexible in size delineated using electric fences

limited grazing time then moved to anotherpaddock

dairy animalsmoved once or twice a day meat animalsmoved approximately every

3 to 7 days

forage use by animals monitored animals moved when they remove about one-

third to one-half of the forage growth

pastures rested and provided with sufficienttime for forages to regrow before animals areallowed to graze again

height of forage used to determine when topermit grazing

water troughs or other water sources avail-able

water sources are located away fromstreambanks

manager knowledgeable about the soil con-ditions in each paddock

animals not allowed to graze in areas withwet soils or erodible land

paddocks are set up to optimize forage useby grazing animals

watering areas shade and minerals are lo-cated in different areas of the paddock

pasture arrangement encourages animals tomove rather than to congregate

continual monitoring of livestock and pastureresources

management practices revised based onobservations

managers look for solutions within the con-text of the agro-ecosystem

land and animals are managed to keep prob-lems from happening

ManagementPractice

Number ofpaddocks

Grazingduration

Forage usemonitoring

Pastureforageregrowth

Alternativewater sources

Pastureselectionbased on soilconditions

Pasture shapeand layout

Managementdecisionmaking

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 5

to survive or reproduce This creates bareareas and promotes the growth of weeds

Congregating livestock deposit manure andurine in concentrated areasUnmanaged grazing practices can damage the

structure and function of riparian areas in simi-lar ways Livestock transport seeds and vegetative

propagules of noxious weeds into riparianareas

Most livestock selectively congregate in ri-parian areas especially during hot weather

During hot dry weather livestock selectivelygraze on the more palatable species found inmoist riparian areas in preference to woodieror more mature plants found in upland ar-eas

Livestock trample on moist riparian soil caus-ing soil compaction hindering plant growthand breaking down streambanks

Congregating livestock deposit manure andurine in and near streams

Livestock trample or congregate in streamsloosening bottom sediments and damagingstream channel shape and structureTable 2 provides more detailed information

on the potential impacts of unmanaged grazingin riparian areas on soil and water resourceswildlife habitat and human health and economicconcerns

While conservationists and other non-farmcommunity members often blame farmers andranchers for riparian degradation these rural landmanagers may also be victims of poor upstreamurban and suburban land management practicesNon-agricultural land use practices such as for-estry home building road construction and ur-ban and suburban development can also decreasewater infiltration and increase runoff erosion andcontaminant transport into riparian areas (Wanget al 1997) These non-agricultural activities thatcan degrade downstream grazed pastures orrangelands include Replacement of forests and fields by houses

roads and parking lots that do not permitwater infiltration and encourage rapid short-term or flash flooding in streams and ditches

Artificial stream widening or straightening

Construction road maintenance logging orother activities that expose bare soil to theforces of erosion

Poorly constructed or maintained septic sys-tems

Industrial or municipal activities that involvedisposal of toxic materials

Runoff of lawn chemicals road salt oil andtar from roads yard waste and other urbanwastesPoor upstream land management practices

can also degrade riparian areas by increasing thepotential for Flooding of pasturelands

Streambank erosion and the loss ofpastureland into the stream

Transport of contaminated soil ontopastureland

Water contamination that could affect thehealth and productivity of livestock

Loss of dependable quantities of water tomeet the needs of livestockThe ATTRA publication Protecting Riparian

Areas Farmland Management Strategies discussesstrategies for developing effective watershedmanagement programs that recognize that every-one living in a watershed contributes to water-shed problems and has a responsibility to findand implement solutions to these problems Thispublication also provides a list of governmentprograms that may be able to provide you witheconomic or technical assistance as you seek toimplement riparian protection practices

Managed Grazing forRiparian Protection

Farmers and ranchers use managed grazingpractices in various areas of the country to im-prove pasture productivity increase livestockgrowth and protect riparian areas (Lyons et al2000 Clark 1998 Skinner and Hiller 1996) Theterm managed grazing encompasses a rangeof strategies and philosophies But the most criti-cal component is management

Most riparian grazing results suggest that thespecific grazing system used is not of dominant

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 5

to survive or reproduce This creates bareareas and promotes the growth of weeds

Congregating livestock deposit manure andurine in concentrated areasUnmanaged grazing practices can damage the

structure and function of riparian areas in simi-lar ways Livestock transport seeds and vegetative

propagules of noxious weeds into riparianareas

Most livestock selectively congregate in ri-parian areas especially during hot weather

During hot dry weather livestock selectivelygraze on the more palatable species found inmoist riparian areas in preference to woodieror more mature plants found in upland ar-eas

Livestock trample on moist riparian soil caus-ing soil compaction hindering plant growthand breaking down streambanks

Congregating livestock deposit manure andurine in and near streams

Livestock trample or congregate in streamsloosening bottom sediments and damagingstream channel shape and structureTable 2 provides more detailed information

on the potential impacts of unmanaged grazingin riparian areas on soil and water resourceswildlife habitat and human health and economicconcerns

While conservationists and other non-farmcommunity members often blame farmers andranchers for riparian degradation these rural landmanagers may also be victims of poor upstreamurban and suburban land management practicesNon-agricultural land use practices such as for-estry home building road construction and ur-ban and suburban development can also decreasewater infiltration and increase runoff erosion andcontaminant transport into riparian areas (Wanget al 1997) These non-agricultural activities thatcan degrade downstream grazed pastures orrangelands include Replacement of forests and fields by houses

roads and parking lots that do not permitwater infiltration and encourage rapid short-term or flash flooding in streams and ditches

Artificial stream widening or straightening

Construction road maintenance logging orother activities that expose bare soil to theforces of erosion

Poorly constructed or maintained septic sys-tems

Industrial or municipal activities that involvedisposal of toxic materials

Runoff of lawn chemicals road salt oil andtar from roads yard waste and other urbanwastesPoor upstream land management practices

can also degrade riparian areas by increasing thepotential for Flooding of pasturelands

Streambank erosion and the loss ofpastureland into the stream

Transport of contaminated soil ontopastureland

Water contamination that could affect thehealth and productivity of livestock

Loss of dependable quantities of water tomeet the needs of livestockThe ATTRA publication Protecting Riparian

Areas Farmland Management Strategies discussesstrategies for developing effective watershedmanagement programs that recognize that every-one living in a watershed contributes to water-shed problems and has a responsibility to findand implement solutions to these problems Thispublication also provides a list of governmentprograms that may be able to provide you witheconomic or technical assistance as you seek toimplement riparian protection practices

Managed Grazing forRiparian Protection

Farmers and ranchers use managed grazingpractices in various areas of the country to im-prove pasture productivity increase livestockgrowth and protect riparian areas (Lyons et al2000 Clark 1998 Skinner and Hiller 1996) Theterm managed grazing encompasses a rangeof strategies and philosophies But the most criti-cal component is management

Most riparian grazing results suggest that thespecific grazing system used is not of dominant

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 6

Tab

le 2

U

nm

an

ag

ed

Gra

zin

g I

mp

ac

ts o

n R

ipa

ria

n S

tru

ctu

re a

nd

Fu

nc

tio

n

M

anur

e de

posi

tion

in a

nd n

ear

stre

ams

In

-stre

am tr

ampl

ing

and

cong

rega

ting

by liv

esto

ck

So

il com

pact

ion

byliv

esto

ck tr

ampl

ing

Lo

ss o

f veg

etat

ion

by liv

esto

ck tr

am-

plin

g an

d gr

azin

g

Br

eakd

own

ofst

ream

bank

s by

tram

plin

g

W

hen

man

ure

is d

epos

ited

near

stre

ams

durin

g tim

es o

f hea

vy ra

infa

llor

sno

wm

elt

W

hen

man

ure

is d

epos

ited

in s

tream

sdu

ring

the

dry

seas

on w

hen

wat

erle

vels

are

low

W

hen

soils

are

wet

or s

atur

ated

W

hen

anim

als

graz

e or

con

greg

ate

inth

e sa

me

area

for a

n ex

tend

ed p

erio

dof

tim

e

D

urin

g pl

ant e

mer

genc

e

Whe

n en

viro

nmen

tal c

ondi

tions

slo

wpl

ant g

row

th

Whe

n fo

rage

s ar

e ov

ergr

azed

W

hen

soil i

s wet

or s

atur

ated

W

hen

ther

e is

little

vege

tatio

n co

ver

W

hen

it is h

ot a

nd liv

esto

ck se

ek to

cool

them

selve

s in t

he sh

ade o

f stre

amsid

etre

es

Whe

n live

stoc

k see

k to c

ool th

emse

lves

in th

e st

ream

W

hen

alte

rnat

ive w

ater

sour

ces a

re n

otav

aila

ble a

nd liv

esto

ck ha

ve un

rest

ricte

dac

cess

to st

ream

s for

drin

king

wate

r

N

utrie

nts

and

path

ogen

sfro

m m

anur

e ad

ded

tost

ream

s

Sedi

men

t loa

ding

of r

ipar

ian

area

s an

d st

ream

s

In

crea

sed

eros

ion

Se

dim

ent l

oadi

ng o

f rip

aria

nar

eas

and

stre

ams

R

educ

ed w

ater

infil

tratio

n

Incr

ease

d ru

noff

In

crea

sed

wat

er v

eloc

ity

C

hang

e in

cha

nnel

sha

pe

stru

ctur

e a

nd fo

rm

D

ecre

ased

stre

amba

nkst

abilit

y

D

ecre

ase

in a

vaila

ble

oxyg

en

Form

atio

n of

toxi

c co

mpo

unds

D

ecre

ased

abi

lity

of fi

sh to

spa

wn

and

grow

C

hang

e in

aqu

atic

spe

cies

H

uman

hea

lth im

pact

s

Incr

ease

d w

ater

trea

tmen

t cos

ts

Im

paire

d sp

awni

ng a

nd fo

ragi

ng b

y aq

uatic

orga

nism

s

Dis

rupt

ion

of fi

sh m

igra

tion

Al

tera

tion

in a

quat

ic fo

od w

eb

Incr

ease

d co

st o

f wat

er fi

ltrat

ion

In

crea

sed

flood

ing

R

educ

ed g

roun

dwat

er re

char

ge

Low

ered

wat

er ta

ble

R

emov

al o

f sub

mer

ged

vege

tatio

n

Red

uced

aqu

atic

hab

itat d

iver

sity

Vu

lner

abilit

y of

fish

to fl

ash

flood

s

Incr

ease

d st

ream

bank

ero

sion

Lo

wer

ed g

roun

dwat

er ta

ble

N

arro

win

g of

the

ripar

ian

zone

R

epla

cem

ent o

f rip

aria

n by

upl

and

vege

ta-

tion

D

ecre

ased

pla

nt ro

ots

to h

old

bank

s in

plac

e

Incr

ease

d w

ater

turb

idity

Fe

wer

hid

ing

spac

es a

nd p

ools

for f

ish

R

educ

ed s

paw

ning

hab

itat

Su

ffoca

tion

of fi

sh e

ggs

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

___

Tab

le 2

con

tinu

ed o

n pa

ge 7

Live

stoc

kA

ctiv

ities

Whe

n ar

e R

ipar

ian

Are

as a

tH

igh

Ris

k fo

r Dam

age

How

do

Live

stoc

k A

ffect

Soil

and

Wat

er R

esou

rces

W

hat a

re th

e Ef

fect

s on

Soc

iety

and

the

Envi

ronm

ent

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 7

Tab

le 2

U

nman

aged

Gra

zing

Imp

acts

on

Rip

aria

n S

truc

ture

and

Fun

ctio

n c

ont

d

Live

stoc

kA

ctiv

ities

Whe

n ar

e R

ipar

ian

Are

as a

t Hig

hR

isk

for D

amag

eH

ow d

o Li

vest

ock

Affe

ctSo

il an

d W

ater

Res

ourc

es

Wha

t are

the

Effe

cts

on S

ocie

tyan

d th

e En

viro

nmen

t

Con

tinuo

us g

razi

ngan

d tra

mpl

ing

byliv

esto

ck

Sele

ctiv

e gr

azin

gon

pal

atab

lesp

ecie

s

Br

owsi

ng o

n tre

esan

d sh

rubs

Li

vest

ock

trans

port

of s

eeds

and

vege

tativ

epr

opag

ules

of

noxi

ous

wee

ds in

torip

aria

n ar

eas

W

hen

soils

are

wet

or s

atur

ated

D

urin

g pl

ant e

mer

genc

e

Whe

n en

viro

nmen

tal c

ondi

tions

slo

wpl

ant g

row

th

Whe

n fo

rage

s ar

e ov

ergr

azed

W

hen

fora

ges

are

limite

d

Dur

ing

the

hot

dry

seas

on w

hen

anim

als

cong

rega

te n

ear s

tream

s

W

hen

noxi

ous

plan

ts a

re p

rese

nt in

othe

r are

as o

f the

pas

ture

W

hen

ripar

ian

area

s ar

e su

ffici

ently

degr

aded

to fa

vor p

ropa

gatio

n of

noxi

ous

or in

vasi

ve w

eed

spec

ies

D

ecre

ased

her

bace

ous

cove

r

D

ecre

ased

spe

cies

and

age

dive

rsity

D

ecre

ased

tree

and

shr

ubco

ver

Dis

plac

emen

t of n

ativ

esp

ecie

s by

nox

ious

wee

ds

Le

ss fo

od fo

r stre

am a

nd a

quat

ic o

rgan

-ism

s

Less

sha

de a

nd h

ighe

r stre

am te

mpe

ra-

ture

s

Dec

reas

e in

stre

amba

nk s

tabi

lity

Le

ss s

edim

ent t

rapp

ing

D

ecre

ased

wat

er in

filtra

tion

R

epla

cem

ent o

f rip

aria

n by

upl

and

vege

ta-

tion

Lo

ss o

f sen

sitiv

e bi

rd s

peci

es a

nd w

ildlif

eha

bita

t

D

eclin

e in

stre

amba

nk s

tabi

lity

Le

ss s

hade

and

hig

her s

tream

tem

pera

-tu

res

Lo

ss o

f hab

itat f

or w

ildlif

e

Los

s of

food

and

hab

itat f

or w

ildlif

e W

ater

tabl

e lo

wer

ed b

ecau

se o

f hig

h w

ater

upta

ke b

y no

xiou

s sp

ecie

s D

ecre

ased

am

ount

of p

alat

able

fora

ges

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

Sour

ces

Sov

ell e

t al

200

0 B

elsk

y et

al

199

9 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 B

eegl

e et

al

199

8

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 8

importance but good management iswith con-trol of use in riparian areas a key item (Clary andWebster 1989)

Other critical components of riparian grazingpractices include (Leonard et al 1997 Clary andWebster 1989) Combining managed upland grazing prac-

tices with good riparian grazing management

Installing alternative watering systems andcontrolling grazing to minimize deposition ofmanure in or near streams

Adapting grazing management practices tolocal conditions and to the species beinggrazed

Employing long-term rest from grazing whenriparian areas are highly degraded

Employing short-term or seasonal rest to pro-tect wet streambanks and riparian vegetationthat is emerging regenerating or setting seed

Maintaining streambank structure and func-tion by maintaining a healthy cover of ripar-ian vegetation

Using a flexible approach that involves docu-menting mistakes so that they are not re-peatedGrazing management guidelines to accom-

plish these objectives are provided in Table 3Use Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that Keep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock fromomomomom

Streams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and Streambanks As with up-land grazing practices livestock should be man-aged to ensure that they optimize forage usegraze evenly acrosspaddocks and do notcongregate in any cer-tain area Constructingsmall paddocks that aremore square than rect-angular and placingwater and any supple-ments at different cor-ners of the paddocks en-courages livestock tomove around pad-docks Alternative wa-ter systems and con-trolled crossing areas are critical managementtools for riparian areas Providing livestock withwater away from the stream keeps them fromtrampling and undercutting streambanks whenthey go to drink It also can provide them with

water that is cleaner resulting in fewer veteri-nary bills and more productive growth The ap-propriate watering system for your farm or ranchdepends on the source of water terrain of theland and power availability for pumping (Burnsand Buschermohle 2000 Fyck 2000) For largefarms solar or wind power may be an effectivesource of energy for pumping water Of the twosolar power is usually the more cost-effectivesince it is relatively easy to install requires littlemaintenance and remains reliable for a long time(Morris et al 2000 Buschermohle and Burns2000) Further information can be found in theATTRA publications Solar-powered Livestock Wa-tering Systems and Freeze Protection for Solar-pow-ered Livestock Watering Systems

If livestock need to cross streams providethem with controlled stream crossings in the formof bridges ramps or designated fords For des-ignated fords cover the stream bottom withcoarse gravel to provide the animals with firmfooting while discouraging them from congre-gating or wallowing in the stream (Undersanderand Pillsbury 1999) In areas where streambanksor riparian vegetation is degraded and livestockexclusion is necessary to allow riparian areas torecover solar-powered electric fences can pro-vide a relatively inexpensive and low-mainte-nance method for setting up paddocks and ex-

clusion areas (Morris et al2000) Your local Natural Re-sources Conservation Servicecan provide technicaland pos-

sibly some economicassistance in the installa-tion of stream crossings

Pastures that include a combination of ripar-ian and upland areas should be grazed only whenboth areas have good-quality forages and tem-

Controlled access points forstream crossing

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 7

Tab

le 2

U

nman

aged

Gra

zing

Imp

acts

on

Rip

aria

n S

truc

ture

and

Fun

ctio

n c

ont

d

Live

stoc

kA

ctiv

ities

Whe

n ar

e R

ipar

ian

Are

as a

t Hig

hR

isk

for D

amag

eH

ow d

o Li

vest

ock

Affe

ctSo

il an

d W

ater

Res

ourc

es

Wha

t are

the

Effe

cts

on S

ocie

tyan

d th

e En

viro

nmen

t

Con

tinuo

us g

razi

ngan

d tra

mpl

ing

byliv

esto

ck

Sele

ctiv

e gr

azin

gon

pal

atab

lesp

ecie

s

Br

owsi

ng o

n tre

esan

d sh

rubs

Li

vest

ock

trans

port

of s

eeds

and

vege

tativ

epr

opag

ules

of

noxi

ous

wee

ds in

torip

aria

n ar

eas

W

hen

soils

are

wet

or s

atur

ated

D

urin

g pl

ant e

mer

genc

e

Whe

n en

viro

nmen

tal c

ondi

tions

slo

wpl

ant g

row

th

Whe

n fo

rage

s ar

e ov

ergr

azed

W

hen

fora

ges

are

limite

d

Dur

ing

the

hot

dry

seas

on w

hen

anim

als

cong

rega

te n

ear s

tream

s

W

hen

noxi

ous

plan

ts a

re p

rese

nt in

othe

r are

as o

f the

pas

ture

W

hen

ripar

ian

area

s ar

e su

ffici

ently

degr

aded

to fa

vor p

ropa

gatio

n of

noxi

ous

or in

vasi

ve w

eed

spec

ies

D

ecre

ased

her

bace

ous

cove

r

D

ecre

ased

spe

cies

and

age

dive

rsity

D

ecre

ased

tree

and

shr

ubco

ver

Dis

plac

emen

t of n

ativ

esp

ecie

s by

nox

ious

wee

ds

Le

ss fo

od fo

r stre

am a

nd a

quat

ic o

rgan

-ism

s

Less

sha

de a

nd h

ighe

r stre

am te

mpe

ra-

ture

s

Dec

reas

e in

stre

amba

nk s

tabi

lity

Le

ss s

edim

ent t

rapp

ing

D

ecre

ased

wat

er in

filtra

tion

R

epla

cem

ent o

f rip

aria

n by

upl

and

vege

ta-

tion

Lo

ss o

f sen

sitiv

e bi

rd s

peci

es a

nd w

ildlif

eha

bita

t

D

eclin

e in

stre

amba

nk s

tabi

lity

Le

ss s

hade

and

hig

her s

tream

tem

pera

-tu

res

Lo

ss o

f hab

itat f

or w

ildlif

e

Los

s of

food

and

hab

itat f

or w

ildlif

e W

ater

tabl

e lo

wer

ed b

ecau

se o

f hig

h w

ater

upta

ke b

y no

xiou

s sp

ecie

s D

ecre

ased

am

ount

of p

alat

able

fora

ges

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

____

Sour

ces

Sov

ell e

t al

200

0 B

elsk

y et

al

199

9 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 B

eegl

e et

al

199

8

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 8

importance but good management iswith con-trol of use in riparian areas a key item (Clary andWebster 1989)

Other critical components of riparian grazingpractices include (Leonard et al 1997 Clary andWebster 1989) Combining managed upland grazing prac-

tices with good riparian grazing management

Installing alternative watering systems andcontrolling grazing to minimize deposition ofmanure in or near streams

Adapting grazing management practices tolocal conditions and to the species beinggrazed

Employing long-term rest from grazing whenriparian areas are highly degraded

Employing short-term or seasonal rest to pro-tect wet streambanks and riparian vegetationthat is emerging regenerating or setting seed

Maintaining streambank structure and func-tion by maintaining a healthy cover of ripar-ian vegetation

Using a flexible approach that involves docu-menting mistakes so that they are not re-peatedGrazing management guidelines to accom-

plish these objectives are provided in Table 3Use Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that Keep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock fromomomomom

Streams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and Streambanks As with up-land grazing practices livestock should be man-aged to ensure that they optimize forage usegraze evenly acrosspaddocks and do notcongregate in any cer-tain area Constructingsmall paddocks that aremore square than rect-angular and placingwater and any supple-ments at different cor-ners of the paddocks en-courages livestock tomove around pad-docks Alternative wa-ter systems and con-trolled crossing areas are critical managementtools for riparian areas Providing livestock withwater away from the stream keeps them fromtrampling and undercutting streambanks whenthey go to drink It also can provide them with

water that is cleaner resulting in fewer veteri-nary bills and more productive growth The ap-propriate watering system for your farm or ranchdepends on the source of water terrain of theland and power availability for pumping (Burnsand Buschermohle 2000 Fyck 2000) For largefarms solar or wind power may be an effectivesource of energy for pumping water Of the twosolar power is usually the more cost-effectivesince it is relatively easy to install requires littlemaintenance and remains reliable for a long time(Morris et al 2000 Buschermohle and Burns2000) Further information can be found in theATTRA publications Solar-powered Livestock Wa-tering Systems and Freeze Protection for Solar-pow-ered Livestock Watering Systems

If livestock need to cross streams providethem with controlled stream crossings in the formof bridges ramps or designated fords For des-ignated fords cover the stream bottom withcoarse gravel to provide the animals with firmfooting while discouraging them from congre-gating or wallowing in the stream (Undersanderand Pillsbury 1999) In areas where streambanksor riparian vegetation is degraded and livestockexclusion is necessary to allow riparian areas torecover solar-powered electric fences can pro-vide a relatively inexpensive and low-mainte-nance method for setting up paddocks and ex-

clusion areas (Morris et al2000) Your local Natural Re-sources Conservation Servicecan provide technicaland pos-

sibly some economicassistance in the installa-tion of stream crossings

Pastures that include a combination of ripar-ian and upland areas should be grazed only whenboth areas have good-quality forages and tem-

Controlled access points forstream crossing

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 8

importance but good management iswith con-trol of use in riparian areas a key item (Clary andWebster 1989)

Other critical components of riparian grazingpractices include (Leonard et al 1997 Clary andWebster 1989) Combining managed upland grazing prac-

tices with good riparian grazing management

Installing alternative watering systems andcontrolling grazing to minimize deposition ofmanure in or near streams

Adapting grazing management practices tolocal conditions and to the species beinggrazed

Employing long-term rest from grazing whenriparian areas are highly degraded

Employing short-term or seasonal rest to pro-tect wet streambanks and riparian vegetationthat is emerging regenerating or setting seed

Maintaining streambank structure and func-tion by maintaining a healthy cover of ripar-ian vegetation

Using a flexible approach that involves docu-menting mistakes so that they are not re-peatedGrazing management guidelines to accom-

plish these objectives are provided in Table 3Use Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that KUse Practices that Keep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock freep Livestock fromomomomom

Streams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and StreambanksStreams and Streambanks As with up-land grazing practices livestock should be man-aged to ensure that they optimize forage usegraze evenly acrosspaddocks and do notcongregate in any cer-tain area Constructingsmall paddocks that aremore square than rect-angular and placingwater and any supple-ments at different cor-ners of the paddocks en-courages livestock tomove around pad-docks Alternative wa-ter systems and con-trolled crossing areas are critical managementtools for riparian areas Providing livestock withwater away from the stream keeps them fromtrampling and undercutting streambanks whenthey go to drink It also can provide them with

water that is cleaner resulting in fewer veteri-nary bills and more productive growth The ap-propriate watering system for your farm or ranchdepends on the source of water terrain of theland and power availability for pumping (Burnsand Buschermohle 2000 Fyck 2000) For largefarms solar or wind power may be an effectivesource of energy for pumping water Of the twosolar power is usually the more cost-effectivesince it is relatively easy to install requires littlemaintenance and remains reliable for a long time(Morris et al 2000 Buschermohle and Burns2000) Further information can be found in theATTRA publications Solar-powered Livestock Wa-tering Systems and Freeze Protection for Solar-pow-ered Livestock Watering Systems

If livestock need to cross streams providethem with controlled stream crossings in the formof bridges ramps or designated fords For des-ignated fords cover the stream bottom withcoarse gravel to provide the animals with firmfooting while discouraging them from congre-gating or wallowing in the stream (Undersanderand Pillsbury 1999) In areas where streambanksor riparian vegetation is degraded and livestockexclusion is necessary to allow riparian areas torecover solar-powered electric fences can pro-vide a relatively inexpensive and low-mainte-nance method for setting up paddocks and ex-

clusion areas (Morris et al2000) Your local Natural Re-sources Conservation Servicecan provide technicaland pos-

sibly some economicassistance in the installa-tion of stream crossings

Pastures that include a combination of ripar-ian and upland areas should be grazed only whenboth areas have good-quality forages and tem-

Controlled access points forstream crossing

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 9

Table 3 Riparian Management Guidelines

Allow degraded riparian areas torecover

Minimize livestock dependency onriparian vegetation

Allow riparian vegetation to growand reproduce

Reduce soil compaction

Minimize stream bank degradation

Reduce concentration of manurein or near streams

Fence livestock out of heavily damaged riparian areas Monitor area to identify regeneration of healthy riparian struc-

tures and functions If necessary revegetate riparian areas using native grasses

and annuals and proper land preparation practices Allow new plants to become well established before allowing

livestock to graze in the revegetated area

Limit grazing to times when the palatability of upland vegeta-tion is relatively similar to that of the riparian vegetation

Install fences to enclose special use riparian paddocks whichshould be both relatively small to allow for careful manage-ment and include a combination of ecologically similar uplandand riparian areas

Allow grazed plants to reestablish leaf area and build up storedreserves in their roots before regrazing the area

Do not graze vegetatively reproducing plants while they arespreading

Do not graze seed producing plants while they are setting seed Do not graze when environmental conditions such as cold

weather or drought restrict plant growth Control noxious weed growth in upland pastures to minimize

movement of seeds and vegetative propagules into riparianareas

Do not allow grazing while the soil is wet or saturated Do not graze compacted areas during spring thaws during

periods in winter before the land freezes or when thaw condi-tions are likely

Do not graze riparian areas when banks are sloughing or break-ing down

Minimize prolonged grazing or congregation around water un-der shade or in other favored areas

Discourage the formation of pathways

Provide livestock with alternative sources of water Provide livestock with designated stream crossing areas Do not allow livestock to congregate in riparian areas for ex-

tended periods

Place mineral supplements and watering tanks away fromstreambanks

Place sharp stones in any water crossing areas to discouragelounging in streams

Construct ramps or bridges to provide stream crossings thatare not within the stream bed

Management Objectives Management Practices______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sources Undersander and Pillsbury 1999 Fitch and Adams 1998 Moseley et al 1998 Elmore 1992

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 10

peratures are moderate In arid areas this usually occurs in late spring while in more humid areas itoccurs in late spring to late summer If forage availability in upland areas is limited livestock willselectively graze the riparian areas They will also congregate in riparian areas during hot weathersince the riparian areas are cooler Unless grazing times are limited animals will congregate alongstreambanks causing soil compaction vegetation loss by trampling and overgrazing and water qual-ity problems by depositing manure close to streams

Methods for attracting livestock away from riparian areas(Leonard et al 1997)

Provide alternative watering systems Plant palatable forage species on adjacent upland areas Graze riparian areas when upland vegetation is abundant and riparian vegetation is in peak growth

Do not graze riparian areas when they are wet or scorched by drought Use prescribed burning on upland areas to enhance forage production and palatability Place feed supplements such as salt grain hay or molasses in upland areas of paddocks away

from the riparian areas Place brush or boulders along streambanks to discourage livestock from grazing and congregating

in riparian areas

Funded by a Southern Sustainable Agricul-ture Research and Education (SARE) grantresearchers at Virginia Tech worked with agrazier to determine when alternative water-ing systems could attract grazing cattlewhich naturally seek cool streams during sum-meraway from the river The impact wasdramatic The cattle clearly preferred to go tothe water troughs This resulted in decreasednutrient loading and sedimentation in thestream (Berton 1998)

Adapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management Practicesto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditions Upland managed graz-ing seeks to integrate forage and live-stock production This requires pro-ducers to adapt grazing practices to thetype of livestock being raised local en-vironmental conditions and seasonalclimate changes Thus dairy farmersin Wisconsin or New York use veryintensive rotational schedules for theirmilking herds while beef farmers inColorado or New Mexico use a muchmore extensive longer-duration rota-tion schedule The difference in thegrazing practices of these two situa-tions reflects differences between high-production dairy herds feeding on lushrapidly growing forages and slower-

gaining beef animals feeding on more sparse veg-etation

Similarly guidelines for well-managed ripar-ian grazing systems cannot be one size fits allInstead

The effectiveness of a given system depends onhow well it fits both the ecological conditions ofthe grazing area and the management require-ments of the livestock enterprise Too often agrazing system developed for a specific applica-tion has been used elsewhere without adequateconsideration of local site conditions (Elmore1992)

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 11

Adaptation to local conditions involves understanding the following characteristics of the riparianareas being managed What is (or was) the native vegetation forests shrubs and brush or grasses sedges and reeds

What is the stream order a first-order headwaters or a higher order tributary

What is the stream channel geology is it rocky gravelly or composed of sediments

Is it a cold (trout) stream or a warm-water stream

What are the climatic conditions is it humid or arid Are winters cold throughout the season ordo freezethaw conditions occur

During which season do the heaviest rains usually fall when vegetation is actively growing orduring times when vegetation is dormant or emergingYou need to take these issues into consideration when you develop and implement riparian graz-

ing practices If instead you follow to the letter practices developed in an environment differentfrom your own your well-intentioned management efforts may prove to be ineffective or even detri-mental to riparian protection See Table 4 for guidelines in selecting managed riparian grazing sys-tems appropriate to your locality and to the management objectives of your farm or ranch

Sovell et al (2000) working in southeastern Minnesota demonstrated that streams with grassybuffers were able to catch and filter eroded sediments better than woody buffers which had littleunderstory vegetation They also found that when grassy riparian areas were continuously grazedstreams had high coliform counts and turbidity But when grassy riparian areas were rotationallygrazed water quality was not significantly different from that measured in ungrazed grassy bufferstrips

They noted that rotational grazing did cause coliform counts to rise briefly while the cattle weregrazing on streambanks However these counts decreased within two weeks after taking animalsout of the riparian paddocks

Based on these results the researchers concluded that for streams that move slowly through theplains and rolling hills of Minnesota rotationally grazing riparian areas can protect water quality aswell as if not better than some woody buffers They also found that short-duration rotationalgrazing of streambanks had only limited and short-term impacts on water quality

Employ Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest from Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly DegradedWhile grazing and riparian restoration can coex-ist in many areas in highly degraded areas live-stock exclusion is necessary to initiate the recov-ery process The duration of the necessary restperiod depends on the amount of degradationthe local environmental conditions and whetheractive restoration practices are being implementedin addition to providing the area with rest fromlivestock Ultimately the objective of providingrest is the recovery of the streambank and its func-tional riparian plant community (Clary andWebster 1989)

Before discussing methods for resting andrestoring riparian areas lets examine some typi-cal characteristics of severely damaged riparian

areas (Shock 2000 Moseley et al 1998 Whitaker-Hoagland et al 1998 Platts and Raleigh 1984) A low water table and decreased water stor-

age capacity

Slow vegetative growth and poor forage pro-duction

Limited vegetation and roots to help protectand stabilize banks

Change in vegetation species and types re-placement of native vegetation by exotic veg-etation or replacement of water-loving veg-etation by upland vegetation

In areas with woody riparian areas reducednumbers and health of trees combined withlimited shade and higher temperatures ofstream water

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 12

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

R

elat

ivel

y sm

all r

ange

land

padd

ocks

con

tain

ing

both

upla

nd a

nd ri

paria

n ve

geta

-tio

n

R

ipar

ian

area

s m

anag

edse

para

tely

from

upl

ands

Pe

rman

ent e

xclu

sion

of liv

e-st

ock

from

stre

am-b

ank

ar-

eas

by fe

nces

En

ough

goo

d qu

ality

fora

geav

aila

ble

in u

plan

d ar

eas

soliv

esto

ck d

o no

t dep

end

on ri

-pa

rian

vege

tatio

n fo

r the

ir fo

r-ag

ing

need

s

Pa

ddoc

ks re

lativ

ely

smal

l so

that

live

stoc

k im

pact

on

soil

and

vege

tatio

n ca

n be

car

e-fu

lly m

onito

red

and

man

aged

U

sefu

l for

obt

aini

ng s

peci

ficm

anag

emen

t obj

ectiv

es s

uch

as w

eed

man

agem

ent

Ti

min

g of

gra

zing

not

dep

en-

dant

on

cond

ition

of u

plan

dve

geta

tion

Pr

ovid

es ra

pid

reco

very

of d

e-gr

aded

ripa

rian

area

s

R

emov

e liv

esto

ck w

hile

up-

land

fora

ges

are

still

plen

ti-fu

l

M

onito

r and

man

age

to re

-st

ore

favo

rabl

e rip

aria

n co

n-di

tions

Pe

rman

ent fe

nces

are

cost

lyan

d m

ay e

xclu

de u

se o

f ri-

paria

n ar

eas

that

hav

e be

-co

me

reve

geta

ted

and

en-

viron

men

tally

func

tiona

l

Elec

tric o

r oth

er n

on-p

erm

a-ne

nt fe

nces

allo

w m

ore m

an-

agem

ent f

lexib

ilty a

t a lo

wer

cost

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Rip

aria

n-U

plan

dPa

stur

e

Rip

aria

n Pa

stur

e

Cor

ridor

Fen

cing

D

esig

nate

ripa

rian

padd

ocks

for s

pecia

l use

such

as r

eser

vefo

rage

or

dorm

ant

seas

ongr

azin

g

Se

ason

and

dur

atio

n of

gra

z-in

g se

lect

ed to

favo

r gro

wth

of

desi

red

vege

tatio

n an

d to

de-

ter

prop

agat

ion

of u

ndes

ired

spec

ies

Fa

rmer

s an

d ra

nche

rs a

re o

f-te

n he

sita

nt to

inst

all c

orrid

orfe

nces

C

orrid

or fe

ncin

g al

one

does

not

addr

ess m

anag

emen

t nee

ds of

the

broa

der l

ands

cape

Tab

le 4

con

tinu

ed o

n pa

ge 1

3

Past

ure

Layo

ut

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

co

nt

d

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Tim

e-co

ntro

lled

graz

ing

Seas

onal

rota

tion

Thre

e pa

stur

e re

stro

tatio

n sy

stem

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 F

itch

and

Adam

s 1

998

Mos

ley

et a

l 1

998

Leo

nard

et a

l 1

997

Cla

rk 1

998

Cla

ry a

nd W

ebst

er 1

989

Elm

ore

199

2

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Gui

delin

es fo

r Rot

atin

g A

nim

als

U

ses

recu

rring

per

iods

of

graz

ing

and

rest

am

ong

sev-

eral

pad

dock

s

Rat

e of

rota

tion

varie

s w

ithth

e ra

te o

f pla

nt g

row

th

Man

agem

ent fo

cuse

s on

ob-

tain

ing

ecol

ogic

al a

nd p

ro-

duct

ion

obje

ctive

s

Li

vest

ock

graz

ed o

nly

dur-

ing

times

whe

n ris

ks to

the

envir

onm

ent a

re lim

ited

R

elat

ivel

y sh

ort g

razi

ng p

e-rio

ds u

sed

but n

ot m

anag

edas

inte

nsiv

ely

as ti

me-

con-

trolle

d gr

azin

g

Thre

e pa

stur

e ro

tatio

n sy

stem

Onl

y 2 p

astu

res g

raze

d ea

chye

ar

Rot

atio

n sc

hedu

le fo

r pas

-tu

res

- yea

r 1

sprin

g gr

az-

ing

year

2 la

te su

mm

er a

ndfa

ll gra

zing

year

3 c

ompl

ete

rest

In

mos

t rip

aria

n ar

eas

live

-st

ock

shou

ld b

e m

oved

whe

n 4

to 6

inch

es o

f for

-ag

es re

mai

n

Spec

ializ

ed tim

ing

and

inte

n-si

ty o

f gra

zing

can

be

used

to c

ontro

l wee

d gr

owth

Im

plem

ent w

ith a

ltern

ativ

ew

ater

ing

syst

ems a

nd o

ther

prac

tices

tha

t en

cour

age

anim

als t

o co

ngre

gate

aw

ayfro

m st

ream

bank

s

A

sem

i-ext

ensi

ve g

razi

ngpr

actic

e th

at re

sts e

ach

pas-

ture

are

a on

ce e

very

3 ye

ars

N

eeds

to

be m

anag

ed t

opr

otec

t aga

inst

stre

amba

nkde

grad

atio

n in

spr

ing

and

fora

ge d

eple

tion

in th

e fa

ll

In

tens

ive m

anag

emen

t allo

ws

for p

rote

ctio

n of

crit

ical

ripa

r-ia

n re

sour

ces

U

sefu

l for d

airy

and

oth

er h

igh

prod

uctio

n liv

esto

ck o

pera

-tio

ns

G

ood

for b

eef p

rodu

ctio

n op

-er

atio

ns

Rip

aria

n ar

eas

shou

ld b

e in

heal

thy

cond

ition

prio

r to

us-

ing

this

syst

em

D

esig

ned

to m

eet p

hysio

logi

-ca

l ne

eds

of h

erba

ceou

spl

ants

N

ot a

ppro

pria

te f

or u

se in

shru

b-do

min

ated

ripa

rian

ar-

eas s

ince

youn

g w

oody

pla

nts

do n

ot h

ave

suffic

ient

rest

time

to b

ecom

e es

tabl

ished

S

hort

-dur

atio

n

inte

nsiv

est

ockin

g ca

n pr

oduc

e ho

of a

c-tio

n th

at h

elps

inco

rpor

ate

ma-

nure

and

see

ds in

to s

oil w

hile

incr

easi

ng p

athw

ays f

or w

ater

infilt

ratio

n

Hoo

f act

ion

can

be d

etrim

en-

tal i

n ar

id a

reas

whe

re m

icro

-bi

otic

cru

sts

are

critic

al fo

r soi

lhe

alth

G

oats

can

be

graz

ed in

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

if br

ush

or le

ss p

al-

atab

le w

eeds

nee

d to

be

clea

red

out

If u

sed

in w

oody

ripar

ian

area

slim

it gr

azin

g tim

e du

ring

the

late

sum

mer

rota

tion

to w

hen

herb

aceo

us cr

ops a

re o

nly h

alf

used

Th

is w

ill lim

it liv

esto

ckfe

edin

g on

woo

dy p

lant

s

Addi

ng m

ore

past

ures

will

in-

crea

se th

e am

ount

of ti

me

land

is re

sted

and

will

furth

er p

ro-

tect

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 10

peratures are moderate In arid areas this usually occurs in late spring while in more humid areas itoccurs in late spring to late summer If forage availability in upland areas is limited livestock willselectively graze the riparian areas They will also congregate in riparian areas during hot weathersince the riparian areas are cooler Unless grazing times are limited animals will congregate alongstreambanks causing soil compaction vegetation loss by trampling and overgrazing and water qual-ity problems by depositing manure close to streams

Methods for attracting livestock away from riparian areas(Leonard et al 1997)

Provide alternative watering systems Plant palatable forage species on adjacent upland areas Graze riparian areas when upland vegetation is abundant and riparian vegetation is in peak growth

Do not graze riparian areas when they are wet or scorched by drought Use prescribed burning on upland areas to enhance forage production and palatability Place feed supplements such as salt grain hay or molasses in upland areas of paddocks away

from the riparian areas Place brush or boulders along streambanks to discourage livestock from grazing and congregating

in riparian areas

Funded by a Southern Sustainable Agricul-ture Research and Education (SARE) grantresearchers at Virginia Tech worked with agrazier to determine when alternative water-ing systems could attract grazing cattlewhich naturally seek cool streams during sum-meraway from the river The impact wasdramatic The cattle clearly preferred to go tothe water troughs This resulted in decreasednutrient loading and sedimentation in thestream (Berton 1998)

Adapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management PracticesAdapt Grazing Management Practicesto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditionsto Local Conditions Upland managed graz-ing seeks to integrate forage and live-stock production This requires pro-ducers to adapt grazing practices to thetype of livestock being raised local en-vironmental conditions and seasonalclimate changes Thus dairy farmersin Wisconsin or New York use veryintensive rotational schedules for theirmilking herds while beef farmers inColorado or New Mexico use a muchmore extensive longer-duration rota-tion schedule The difference in thegrazing practices of these two situa-tions reflects differences between high-production dairy herds feeding on lushrapidly growing forages and slower-

gaining beef animals feeding on more sparse veg-etation

Similarly guidelines for well-managed ripar-ian grazing systems cannot be one size fits allInstead

The effectiveness of a given system depends onhow well it fits both the ecological conditions ofthe grazing area and the management require-ments of the livestock enterprise Too often agrazing system developed for a specific applica-tion has been used elsewhere without adequateconsideration of local site conditions (Elmore1992)

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 11

Adaptation to local conditions involves understanding the following characteristics of the riparianareas being managed What is (or was) the native vegetation forests shrubs and brush or grasses sedges and reeds

What is the stream order a first-order headwaters or a higher order tributary

What is the stream channel geology is it rocky gravelly or composed of sediments

Is it a cold (trout) stream or a warm-water stream

What are the climatic conditions is it humid or arid Are winters cold throughout the season ordo freezethaw conditions occur

During which season do the heaviest rains usually fall when vegetation is actively growing orduring times when vegetation is dormant or emergingYou need to take these issues into consideration when you develop and implement riparian graz-

ing practices If instead you follow to the letter practices developed in an environment differentfrom your own your well-intentioned management efforts may prove to be ineffective or even detri-mental to riparian protection See Table 4 for guidelines in selecting managed riparian grazing sys-tems appropriate to your locality and to the management objectives of your farm or ranch

Sovell et al (2000) working in southeastern Minnesota demonstrated that streams with grassybuffers were able to catch and filter eroded sediments better than woody buffers which had littleunderstory vegetation They also found that when grassy riparian areas were continuously grazedstreams had high coliform counts and turbidity But when grassy riparian areas were rotationallygrazed water quality was not significantly different from that measured in ungrazed grassy bufferstrips

They noted that rotational grazing did cause coliform counts to rise briefly while the cattle weregrazing on streambanks However these counts decreased within two weeks after taking animalsout of the riparian paddocks

Based on these results the researchers concluded that for streams that move slowly through theplains and rolling hills of Minnesota rotationally grazing riparian areas can protect water quality aswell as if not better than some woody buffers They also found that short-duration rotationalgrazing of streambanks had only limited and short-term impacts on water quality

Employ Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest from Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly DegradedWhile grazing and riparian restoration can coex-ist in many areas in highly degraded areas live-stock exclusion is necessary to initiate the recov-ery process The duration of the necessary restperiod depends on the amount of degradationthe local environmental conditions and whetheractive restoration practices are being implementedin addition to providing the area with rest fromlivestock Ultimately the objective of providingrest is the recovery of the streambank and its func-tional riparian plant community (Clary andWebster 1989)

Before discussing methods for resting andrestoring riparian areas lets examine some typi-cal characteristics of severely damaged riparian

areas (Shock 2000 Moseley et al 1998 Whitaker-Hoagland et al 1998 Platts and Raleigh 1984) A low water table and decreased water stor-

age capacity

Slow vegetative growth and poor forage pro-duction

Limited vegetation and roots to help protectand stabilize banks

Change in vegetation species and types re-placement of native vegetation by exotic veg-etation or replacement of water-loving veg-etation by upland vegetation

In areas with woody riparian areas reducednumbers and health of trees combined withlimited shade and higher temperatures ofstream water

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 12

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

R

elat

ivel

y sm

all r

ange

land

padd

ocks

con

tain

ing

both

upla

nd a

nd ri

paria

n ve

geta

-tio

n

R

ipar

ian

area

s m

anag

edse

para

tely

from

upl

ands

Pe

rman

ent e

xclu

sion

of liv

e-st

ock

from

stre

am-b

ank

ar-

eas

by fe

nces

En

ough

goo

d qu

ality

fora

geav

aila

ble

in u

plan

d ar

eas

soliv

esto

ck d

o no

t dep

end

on ri

-pa

rian

vege

tatio

n fo

r the

ir fo

r-ag

ing

need

s

Pa

ddoc

ks re

lativ

ely

smal

l so

that

live

stoc

k im

pact

on

soil

and

vege

tatio

n ca

n be

car

e-fu

lly m

onito

red

and

man

aged

U

sefu

l for

obt

aini

ng s

peci

ficm

anag

emen

t obj

ectiv

es s

uch

as w

eed

man

agem

ent

Ti

min

g of

gra

zing

not

dep

en-

dant

on

cond

ition

of u

plan

dve

geta

tion

Pr

ovid

es ra

pid

reco

very

of d

e-gr

aded

ripa

rian

area

s

R

emov

e liv

esto

ck w

hile

up-

land

fora

ges

are

still

plen

ti-fu

l

M

onito

r and

man

age

to re

-st

ore

favo

rabl

e rip

aria

n co

n-di

tions

Pe

rman

ent fe

nces

are

cost

lyan

d m

ay e

xclu

de u

se o

f ri-

paria

n ar

eas

that

hav

e be

-co

me

reve

geta

ted

and

en-

viron

men

tally

func

tiona

l

Elec

tric o

r oth

er n

on-p

erm

a-ne

nt fe

nces

allo

w m

ore m

an-

agem

ent f

lexib

ilty a

t a lo

wer

cost

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Rip

aria

n-U

plan

dPa

stur

e

Rip

aria

n Pa

stur

e

Cor

ridor

Fen

cing

D

esig

nate

ripa

rian

padd

ocks

for s

pecia

l use

such

as r

eser

vefo

rage

or

dorm

ant

seas

ongr

azin

g

Se

ason

and

dur

atio

n of

gra

z-in

g se

lect

ed to

favo

r gro

wth

of

desi

red

vege

tatio

n an

d to

de-

ter

prop

agat

ion

of u

ndes

ired

spec

ies

Fa

rmer

s an

d ra

nche

rs a

re o

f-te

n he

sita

nt to

inst

all c

orrid

orfe

nces

C

orrid

or fe

ncin

g al

one

does

not

addr

ess m

anag

emen

t nee

ds of

the

broa

der l

ands

cape

Tab

le 4

con

tinu

ed o

n pa

ge 1

3

Past

ure

Layo

ut

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

co

nt

d

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Tim

e-co

ntro

lled

graz

ing

Seas

onal

rota

tion

Thre

e pa

stur

e re

stro

tatio

n sy

stem

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 F

itch

and

Adam

s 1

998

Mos

ley

et a

l 1

998

Leo

nard

et a

l 1

997

Cla

rk 1

998

Cla

ry a

nd W

ebst

er 1

989

Elm

ore

199

2

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Gui

delin

es fo

r Rot

atin

g A

nim

als

U

ses

recu

rring

per

iods

of

graz

ing

and

rest

am

ong

sev-

eral

pad

dock

s

Rat

e of

rota

tion

varie

s w

ithth

e ra

te o

f pla

nt g

row

th

Man

agem

ent fo

cuse

s on

ob-

tain

ing

ecol

ogic

al a

nd p

ro-

duct

ion

obje

ctive

s

Li

vest

ock

graz

ed o

nly

dur-

ing

times

whe

n ris

ks to

the

envir

onm

ent a

re lim

ited

R

elat

ivel

y sh

ort g

razi

ng p

e-rio

ds u

sed

but n

ot m

anag

edas

inte

nsiv

ely

as ti

me-

con-

trolle

d gr

azin

g

Thre

e pa

stur

e ro

tatio

n sy

stem

Onl

y 2 p

astu

res g

raze

d ea

chye

ar

Rot

atio

n sc

hedu

le fo

r pas

-tu

res

- yea

r 1

sprin

g gr

az-

ing

year

2 la

te su

mm

er a

ndfa

ll gra

zing

year

3 c

ompl

ete

rest

In

mos

t rip

aria

n ar

eas

live

-st

ock

shou

ld b

e m

oved

whe

n 4

to 6

inch

es o

f for

-ag

es re

mai

n

Spec

ializ

ed tim

ing

and

inte

n-si

ty o

f gra

zing

can

be

used

to c

ontro

l wee

d gr

owth

Im

plem

ent w

ith a

ltern

ativ

ew

ater

ing

syst

ems a

nd o

ther

prac

tices

tha

t en

cour

age

anim

als t

o co

ngre

gate

aw

ayfro

m st

ream

bank

s

A

sem

i-ext

ensi

ve g

razi

ngpr

actic

e th

at re

sts e

ach

pas-

ture

are

a on

ce e

very

3 ye

ars

N

eeds

to

be m

anag

ed t

opr

otec

t aga

inst

stre

amba

nkde

grad

atio

n in

spr

ing

and

fora

ge d

eple

tion

in th

e fa

ll

In

tens

ive m

anag

emen

t allo

ws

for p

rote

ctio

n of

crit

ical

ripa

r-ia

n re

sour

ces

U

sefu

l for d

airy

and

oth

er h

igh

prod

uctio

n liv

esto

ck o

pera

-tio

ns

G

ood

for b

eef p

rodu

ctio

n op

-er

atio

ns

Rip

aria

n ar

eas

shou

ld b

e in

heal

thy

cond

ition

prio

r to

us-

ing

this

syst

em

D

esig

ned

to m

eet p

hysio

logi

-ca

l ne

eds

of h

erba

ceou

spl

ants

N

ot a

ppro

pria

te f

or u

se in

shru

b-do

min

ated

ripa

rian

ar-

eas s

ince

youn

g w

oody

pla

nts

do n

ot h

ave

suffic

ient

rest

time

to b

ecom

e es

tabl

ished

S

hort

-dur

atio

n

inte

nsiv

est

ockin

g ca

n pr

oduc

e ho

of a

c-tio

n th

at h

elps

inco

rpor

ate

ma-

nure

and

see

ds in

to s

oil w

hile

incr

easi

ng p

athw

ays f

or w

ater

infilt

ratio

n

Hoo

f act

ion

can

be d

etrim

en-

tal i

n ar

id a

reas

whe

re m

icro

-bi

otic

cru

sts

are

critic

al fo

r soi

lhe

alth

G

oats

can

be

graz

ed in

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

if br

ush

or le

ss p

al-

atab

le w

eeds

nee

d to

be

clea

red

out

If u

sed

in w

oody

ripar

ian

area

slim

it gr

azin

g tim

e du

ring

the

late

sum

mer

rota

tion

to w

hen

herb

aceo

us cr

ops a

re o

nly h

alf

used

Th

is w

ill lim

it liv

esto

ckfe

edin

g on

woo

dy p

lant

s

Addi

ng m

ore

past

ures

will

in-

crea

se th

e am

ount

of ti

me

land

is re

sted

and

will

furth

er p

ro-

tect

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

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____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

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____

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____

____

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____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 11

Adaptation to local conditions involves understanding the following characteristics of the riparianareas being managed What is (or was) the native vegetation forests shrubs and brush or grasses sedges and reeds

What is the stream order a first-order headwaters or a higher order tributary

What is the stream channel geology is it rocky gravelly or composed of sediments

Is it a cold (trout) stream or a warm-water stream

What are the climatic conditions is it humid or arid Are winters cold throughout the season ordo freezethaw conditions occur

During which season do the heaviest rains usually fall when vegetation is actively growing orduring times when vegetation is dormant or emergingYou need to take these issues into consideration when you develop and implement riparian graz-

ing practices If instead you follow to the letter practices developed in an environment differentfrom your own your well-intentioned management efforts may prove to be ineffective or even detri-mental to riparian protection See Table 4 for guidelines in selecting managed riparian grazing sys-tems appropriate to your locality and to the management objectives of your farm or ranch

Sovell et al (2000) working in southeastern Minnesota demonstrated that streams with grassybuffers were able to catch and filter eroded sediments better than woody buffers which had littleunderstory vegetation They also found that when grassy riparian areas were continuously grazedstreams had high coliform counts and turbidity But when grassy riparian areas were rotationallygrazed water quality was not significantly different from that measured in ungrazed grassy bufferstrips

They noted that rotational grazing did cause coliform counts to rise briefly while the cattle weregrazing on streambanks However these counts decreased within two weeks after taking animalsout of the riparian paddocks

Based on these results the researchers concluded that for streams that move slowly through theplains and rolling hills of Minnesota rotationally grazing riparian areas can protect water quality aswell as if not better than some woody buffers They also found that short-duration rotationalgrazing of streambanks had only limited and short-term impacts on water quality

Employ Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest frEmploy Long-term Rest from Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockom Livestockwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly Degradedwhen Riparian Areas are Highly DegradedWhile grazing and riparian restoration can coex-ist in many areas in highly degraded areas live-stock exclusion is necessary to initiate the recov-ery process The duration of the necessary restperiod depends on the amount of degradationthe local environmental conditions and whetheractive restoration practices are being implementedin addition to providing the area with rest fromlivestock Ultimately the objective of providingrest is the recovery of the streambank and its func-tional riparian plant community (Clary andWebster 1989)

Before discussing methods for resting andrestoring riparian areas lets examine some typi-cal characteristics of severely damaged riparian

areas (Shock 2000 Moseley et al 1998 Whitaker-Hoagland et al 1998 Platts and Raleigh 1984) A low water table and decreased water stor-

age capacity

Slow vegetative growth and poor forage pro-duction

Limited vegetation and roots to help protectand stabilize banks

Change in vegetation species and types re-placement of native vegetation by exotic veg-etation or replacement of water-loving veg-etation by upland vegetation

In areas with woody riparian areas reducednumbers and health of trees combined withlimited shade and higher temperatures ofstream water

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 12

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

R

elat

ivel

y sm

all r

ange

land

padd

ocks

con

tain

ing

both

upla

nd a

nd ri

paria

n ve

geta

-tio

n

R

ipar

ian

area

s m

anag

edse

para

tely

from

upl

ands

Pe

rman

ent e

xclu

sion

of liv

e-st

ock

from

stre

am-b

ank

ar-

eas

by fe

nces

En

ough

goo

d qu

ality

fora

geav

aila

ble

in u

plan

d ar

eas

soliv

esto

ck d

o no

t dep

end

on ri

-pa

rian

vege

tatio

n fo

r the

ir fo

r-ag

ing

need

s

Pa

ddoc

ks re

lativ

ely

smal

l so

that

live

stoc

k im

pact

on

soil

and

vege

tatio

n ca

n be

car

e-fu

lly m

onito

red

and

man

aged

U

sefu

l for

obt

aini

ng s

peci

ficm

anag

emen

t obj

ectiv

es s

uch

as w

eed

man

agem

ent

Ti

min

g of

gra

zing

not

dep

en-

dant

on

cond

ition

of u

plan

dve

geta

tion

Pr

ovid

es ra

pid

reco

very

of d

e-gr

aded

ripa

rian

area

s

R

emov

e liv

esto

ck w

hile

up-

land

fora

ges

are

still

plen

ti-fu

l

M

onito

r and

man

age

to re

-st

ore

favo

rabl

e rip

aria

n co

n-di

tions

Pe

rman

ent fe

nces

are

cost

lyan

d m

ay e

xclu

de u

se o

f ri-

paria

n ar

eas

that

hav

e be

-co

me

reve

geta

ted

and

en-

viron

men

tally

func

tiona

l

Elec

tric o

r oth

er n

on-p

erm

a-ne

nt fe

nces

allo

w m

ore m

an-

agem

ent f

lexib

ilty a

t a lo

wer

cost

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Rip

aria

n-U

plan

dPa

stur

e

Rip

aria

n Pa

stur

e

Cor

ridor

Fen

cing

D

esig

nate

ripa

rian

padd

ocks

for s

pecia

l use

such

as r

eser

vefo

rage

or

dorm

ant

seas

ongr

azin

g

Se

ason

and

dur

atio

n of

gra

z-in

g se

lect

ed to

favo

r gro

wth

of

desi

red

vege

tatio

n an

d to

de-

ter

prop

agat

ion

of u

ndes

ired

spec

ies

Fa

rmer

s an

d ra

nche

rs a

re o

f-te

n he

sita

nt to

inst

all c

orrid

orfe

nces

C

orrid

or fe

ncin

g al

one

does

not

addr

ess m

anag

emen

t nee

ds of

the

broa

der l

ands

cape

Tab

le 4

con

tinu

ed o

n pa

ge 1

3

Past

ure

Layo

ut

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

co

nt

d

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Tim

e-co

ntro

lled

graz

ing

Seas

onal

rota

tion

Thre

e pa

stur

e re

stro

tatio

n sy

stem

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 F

itch

and

Adam

s 1

998

Mos

ley

et a

l 1

998

Leo

nard

et a

l 1

997

Cla

rk 1

998

Cla

ry a

nd W

ebst

er 1

989

Elm

ore

199

2

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Gui

delin

es fo

r Rot

atin

g A

nim

als

U

ses

recu

rring

per

iods

of

graz

ing

and

rest

am

ong

sev-

eral

pad

dock

s

Rat

e of

rota

tion

varie

s w

ithth

e ra

te o

f pla

nt g

row

th

Man

agem

ent fo

cuse

s on

ob-

tain

ing

ecol

ogic

al a

nd p

ro-

duct

ion

obje

ctive

s

Li

vest

ock

graz

ed o

nly

dur-

ing

times

whe

n ris

ks to

the

envir

onm

ent a

re lim

ited

R

elat

ivel

y sh

ort g

razi

ng p

e-rio

ds u

sed

but n

ot m

anag

edas

inte

nsiv

ely

as ti

me-

con-

trolle

d gr

azin

g

Thre

e pa

stur

e ro

tatio

n sy

stem

Onl

y 2 p

astu

res g

raze

d ea

chye

ar

Rot

atio

n sc

hedu

le fo

r pas

-tu

res

- yea

r 1

sprin

g gr

az-

ing

year

2 la

te su

mm

er a

ndfa

ll gra

zing

year

3 c

ompl

ete

rest

In

mos

t rip

aria

n ar

eas

live

-st

ock

shou

ld b

e m

oved

whe

n 4

to 6

inch

es o

f for

-ag

es re

mai

n

Spec

ializ

ed tim

ing

and

inte

n-si

ty o

f gra

zing

can

be

used

to c

ontro

l wee

d gr

owth

Im

plem

ent w

ith a

ltern

ativ

ew

ater

ing

syst

ems a

nd o

ther

prac

tices

tha

t en

cour

age

anim

als t

o co

ngre

gate

aw

ayfro

m st

ream

bank

s

A

sem

i-ext

ensi

ve g

razi

ngpr

actic

e th

at re

sts e

ach

pas-

ture

are

a on

ce e

very

3 ye

ars

N

eeds

to

be m

anag

ed t

opr

otec

t aga

inst

stre

amba

nkde

grad

atio

n in

spr

ing

and

fora

ge d

eple

tion

in th

e fa

ll

In

tens

ive m

anag

emen

t allo

ws

for p

rote

ctio

n of

crit

ical

ripa

r-ia

n re

sour

ces

U

sefu

l for d

airy

and

oth

er h

igh

prod

uctio

n liv

esto

ck o

pera

-tio

ns

G

ood

for b

eef p

rodu

ctio

n op

-er

atio

ns

Rip

aria

n ar

eas

shou

ld b

e in

heal

thy

cond

ition

prio

r to

us-

ing

this

syst

em

D

esig

ned

to m

eet p

hysio

logi

-ca

l ne

eds

of h

erba

ceou

spl

ants

N

ot a

ppro

pria

te f

or u

se in

shru

b-do

min

ated

ripa

rian

ar-

eas s

ince

youn

g w

oody

pla

nts

do n

ot h

ave

suffic

ient

rest

time

to b

ecom

e es

tabl

ished

S

hort

-dur

atio

n

inte

nsiv

est

ockin

g ca

n pr

oduc

e ho

of a

c-tio

n th

at h

elps

inco

rpor

ate

ma-

nure

and

see

ds in

to s

oil w

hile

incr

easi

ng p

athw

ays f

or w

ater

infilt

ratio

n

Hoo

f act

ion

can

be d

etrim

en-

tal i

n ar

id a

reas

whe

re m

icro

-bi

otic

cru

sts

are

critic

al fo

r soi

lhe

alth

G

oats

can

be

graz

ed in

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

if br

ush

or le

ss p

al-

atab

le w

eeds

nee

d to

be

clea

red

out

If u

sed

in w

oody

ripar

ian

area

slim

it gr

azin

g tim

e du

ring

the

late

sum

mer

rota

tion

to w

hen

herb

aceo

us cr

ops a

re o

nly h

alf

used

Th

is w

ill lim

it liv

esto

ckfe

edin

g on

woo

dy p

lant

s

Addi

ng m

ore

past

ures

will

in-

crea

se th

e am

ount

of ti

me

land

is re

sted

and

will

furth

er p

ro-

tect

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 12

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

R

elat

ivel

y sm

all r

ange

land

padd

ocks

con

tain

ing

both

upla

nd a

nd ri

paria

n ve

geta

-tio

n

R

ipar

ian

area

s m

anag

edse

para

tely

from

upl

ands

Pe

rman

ent e

xclu

sion

of liv

e-st

ock

from

stre

am-b

ank

ar-

eas

by fe

nces

En

ough

goo

d qu

ality

fora

geav

aila

ble

in u

plan

d ar

eas

soliv

esto

ck d

o no

t dep

end

on ri

-pa

rian

vege

tatio

n fo

r the

ir fo

r-ag

ing

need

s

Pa

ddoc

ks re

lativ

ely

smal

l so

that

live

stoc

k im

pact

on

soil

and

vege

tatio

n ca

n be

car

e-fu

lly m

onito

red

and

man

aged

U

sefu

l for

obt

aini

ng s

peci

ficm

anag

emen

t obj

ectiv

es s

uch

as w

eed

man

agem

ent

Ti

min

g of

gra

zing

not

dep

en-

dant

on

cond

ition

of u

plan

dve

geta

tion

Pr

ovid

es ra

pid

reco

very

of d

e-gr

aded

ripa

rian

area

s

R

emov

e liv

esto

ck w

hile

up-

land

fora

ges

are

still

plen

ti-fu

l

M

onito

r and

man

age

to re

-st

ore

favo

rabl

e rip

aria

n co

n-di

tions

Pe

rman

ent fe

nces

are

cost

lyan

d m

ay e

xclu

de u

se o

f ri-

paria

n ar

eas

that

hav

e be

-co

me

reve

geta

ted

and

en-

viron

men

tally

func

tiona

l

Elec

tric o

r oth

er n

on-p

erm

a-ne

nt fe

nces

allo

w m

ore m

an-

agem

ent f

lexib

ilty a

t a lo

wer

cost

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Rip

aria

n-U

plan

dPa

stur

e

Rip

aria

n Pa

stur

e

Cor

ridor

Fen

cing

D

esig

nate

ripa

rian

padd

ocks

for s

pecia

l use

such

as r

eser

vefo

rage

or

dorm

ant

seas

ongr

azin

g

Se

ason

and

dur

atio

n of

gra

z-in

g se

lect

ed to

favo

r gro

wth

of

desi

red

vege

tatio

n an

d to

de-

ter

prop

agat

ion

of u

ndes

ired

spec

ies

Fa

rmer

s an

d ra

nche

rs a

re o

f-te

n he

sita

nt to

inst

all c

orrid

orfe

nces

C

orrid

or fe

ncin

g al

one

does

not

addr

ess m

anag

emen

t nee

ds of

the

broa

der l

ands

cape

Tab

le 4

con

tinu

ed o

n pa

ge 1

3

Past

ure

Layo

ut

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

co

nt

d

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Tim

e-co

ntro

lled

graz

ing

Seas

onal

rota

tion

Thre

e pa

stur

e re

stro

tatio

n sy

stem

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 F

itch

and

Adam

s 1

998

Mos

ley

et a

l 1

998

Leo

nard

et a

l 1

997

Cla

rk 1

998

Cla

ry a

nd W

ebst

er 1

989

Elm

ore

199

2

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Gui

delin

es fo

r Rot

atin

g A

nim

als

U

ses

recu

rring

per

iods

of

graz

ing

and

rest

am

ong

sev-

eral

pad

dock

s

Rat

e of

rota

tion

varie

s w

ithth

e ra

te o

f pla

nt g

row

th

Man

agem

ent fo

cuse

s on

ob-

tain

ing

ecol

ogic

al a

nd p

ro-

duct

ion

obje

ctive

s

Li

vest

ock

graz

ed o

nly

dur-

ing

times

whe

n ris

ks to

the

envir

onm

ent a

re lim

ited

R

elat

ivel

y sh

ort g

razi

ng p

e-rio

ds u

sed

but n

ot m

anag

edas

inte

nsiv

ely

as ti

me-

con-

trolle

d gr

azin

g

Thre

e pa

stur

e ro

tatio

n sy

stem

Onl

y 2 p

astu

res g

raze

d ea

chye

ar

Rot

atio

n sc

hedu

le fo

r pas

-tu

res

- yea

r 1

sprin

g gr

az-

ing

year

2 la

te su

mm

er a

ndfa

ll gra

zing

year

3 c

ompl

ete

rest

In

mos

t rip

aria

n ar

eas

live

-st

ock

shou

ld b

e m

oved

whe

n 4

to 6

inch

es o

f for

-ag

es re

mai

n

Spec

ializ

ed tim

ing

and

inte

n-si

ty o

f gra

zing

can

be

used

to c

ontro

l wee

d gr

owth

Im

plem

ent w

ith a

ltern

ativ

ew

ater

ing

syst

ems a

nd o

ther

prac

tices

tha

t en

cour

age

anim

als t

o co

ngre

gate

aw

ayfro

m st

ream

bank

s

A

sem

i-ext

ensi

ve g

razi

ngpr

actic

e th

at re

sts e

ach

pas-

ture

are

a on

ce e

very

3 ye

ars

N

eeds

to

be m

anag

ed t

opr

otec

t aga

inst

stre

amba

nkde

grad

atio

n in

spr

ing

and

fora

ge d

eple

tion

in th

e fa

ll

In

tens

ive m

anag

emen

t allo

ws

for p

rote

ctio

n of

crit

ical

ripa

r-ia

n re

sour

ces

U

sefu

l for d

airy

and

oth

er h

igh

prod

uctio

n liv

esto

ck o

pera

-tio

ns

G

ood

for b

eef p

rodu

ctio

n op

-er

atio

ns

Rip

aria

n ar

eas

shou

ld b

e in

heal

thy

cond

ition

prio

r to

us-

ing

this

syst

em

D

esig

ned

to m

eet p

hysio

logi

-ca

l ne

eds

of h

erba

ceou

spl

ants

N

ot a

ppro

pria

te f

or u

se in

shru

b-do

min

ated

ripa

rian

ar-

eas s

ince

youn

g w

oody

pla

nts

do n

ot h

ave

suffic

ient

rest

time

to b

ecom

e es

tabl

ished

S

hort

-dur

atio

n

inte

nsiv

est

ockin

g ca

n pr

oduc

e ho

of a

c-tio

n th

at h

elps

inco

rpor

ate

ma-

nure

and

see

ds in

to s

oil w

hile

incr

easi

ng p

athw

ays f

or w

ater

infilt

ratio

n

Hoo

f act

ion

can

be d

etrim

en-

tal i

n ar

id a

reas

whe

re m

icro

-bi

otic

cru

sts

are

critic

al fo

r soi

lhe

alth

G

oats

can

be

graz

ed in

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

if br

ush

or le

ss p

al-

atab

le w

eeds

nee

d to

be

clea

red

out

If u

sed

in w

oody

ripar

ian

area

slim

it gr

azin

g tim

e du

ring

the

late

sum

mer

rota

tion

to w

hen

herb

aceo

us cr

ops a

re o

nly h

alf

used

Th

is w

ill lim

it liv

esto

ckfe

edin

g on

woo

dy p

lant

s

Addi

ng m

ore

past

ures

will

in-

crea

se th

e am

ount

of ti

me

land

is re

sted

and

will

furth

er p

ro-

tect

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13

Tab

le 4

M

an

ag

ed

Rip

ari

an

Gra

zin

g S

yste

ms

co

nt

d

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

of G

razi

ngSy

stem

Whe

n to

Use

Thi

s Pr

actic

eM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Tim

e-co

ntro

lled

graz

ing

Seas

onal

rota

tion

Thre

e pa

stur

e re

stro

tatio

n sy

stem

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 F

itch

and

Adam

s 1

998

Mos

ley

et a

l 1

998

Leo

nard

et a

l 1

997

Cla

rk 1

998

Cla

ry a

nd W

ebst

er 1

989

Elm

ore

199

2

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Gui

delin

es fo

r Rot

atin

g A

nim

als

U

ses

recu

rring

per

iods

of

graz

ing

and

rest

am

ong

sev-

eral

pad

dock

s

Rat

e of

rota

tion

varie

s w

ithth

e ra

te o

f pla

nt g

row

th

Man

agem

ent fo

cuse

s on

ob-

tain

ing

ecol

ogic

al a

nd p

ro-

duct

ion

obje

ctive

s

Li

vest

ock

graz

ed o

nly

dur-

ing

times

whe

n ris

ks to

the

envir

onm

ent a

re lim

ited

R

elat

ivel

y sh

ort g

razi

ng p

e-rio

ds u

sed

but n

ot m

anag

edas

inte

nsiv

ely

as ti

me-

con-

trolle

d gr

azin

g

Thre

e pa

stur

e ro

tatio

n sy

stem

Onl

y 2 p

astu

res g

raze

d ea

chye

ar

Rot

atio

n sc

hedu

le fo

r pas

-tu

res

- yea

r 1

sprin

g gr

az-

ing

year

2 la

te su

mm

er a

ndfa

ll gra

zing

year

3 c

ompl

ete

rest

In

mos

t rip

aria

n ar

eas

live

-st

ock

shou

ld b

e m

oved

whe

n 4

to 6

inch

es o

f for

-ag

es re

mai

n

Spec

ializ

ed tim

ing

and

inte

n-si

ty o

f gra

zing

can

be

used

to c

ontro

l wee

d gr

owth

Im

plem

ent w

ith a

ltern

ativ

ew

ater

ing

syst

ems a

nd o

ther

prac

tices

tha

t en

cour

age

anim

als t

o co

ngre

gate

aw

ayfro

m st

ream

bank

s

A

sem

i-ext

ensi

ve g

razi

ngpr

actic

e th

at re

sts e

ach

pas-

ture

are

a on

ce e

very

3 ye

ars

N

eeds

to

be m

anag

ed t

opr

otec

t aga

inst

stre

amba

nkde

grad

atio

n in

spr

ing

and

fora

ge d

eple

tion

in th

e fa

ll

In

tens

ive m

anag

emen

t allo

ws

for p

rote

ctio

n of

crit

ical

ripa

r-ia

n re

sour

ces

U

sefu

l for d

airy

and

oth

er h

igh

prod

uctio

n liv

esto

ck o

pera

-tio

ns

G

ood

for b

eef p

rodu

ctio

n op

-er

atio

ns

Rip

aria

n ar

eas

shou

ld b

e in

heal

thy

cond

ition

prio

r to

us-

ing

this

syst

em

D

esig

ned

to m

eet p

hysio

logi

-ca

l ne

eds

of h

erba

ceou

spl

ants

N

ot a

ppro

pria

te f

or u

se in

shru

b-do

min

ated

ripa

rian

ar-

eas s

ince

youn

g w

oody

pla

nts

do n

ot h

ave

suffic

ient

rest

time

to b

ecom

e es

tabl

ished

S

hort

-dur

atio

n

inte

nsiv

est

ockin

g ca

n pr

oduc

e ho

of a

c-tio

n th

at h

elps

inco

rpor

ate

ma-

nure

and

see

ds in

to s

oil w

hile

incr

easi

ng p

athw

ays f

or w

ater

infilt

ratio

n

Hoo

f act

ion

can

be d

etrim

en-

tal i

n ar

id a

reas

whe

re m

icro

-bi

otic

cru

sts

are

critic

al fo

r soi

lhe

alth

G

oats

can

be

graz

ed in

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

if br

ush

or le

ss p

al-

atab

le w

eeds

nee

d to

be

clea

red

out

If u

sed

in w

oody

ripar

ian

area

slim

it gr

azin

g tim

e du

ring

the

late

sum

mer

rota

tion

to w

hen

herb

aceo

us cr

ops a

re o

nly h

alf

used

Th

is w

ill lim

it liv

esto

ckfe

edin

g on

woo

dy p

lant

s

Addi

ng m

ore

past

ures

will

in-

crea

se th

e am

ount

of ti

me

land

is re

sted

and

will

furth

er p

ro-

tect

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 14

Excessive sediment in the channel from bankand upland erosion

Reduced or eliminated late-summer streamflows

Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual-ity andor poor channel morphology

Poor wildlife habitat quality

High coliform bacteria counts from uplandwaters or adjacent landAreas that are badly degraded or have been

abused for many years will take a long time torecover Similarly riparian areas in more fragileenvironments such as arid regions or areas withlong winters will take a longer time to recoverthan areas with more moderate climates or morehumid conditions In western ranges degradedareas should be rested until vegetation providesa complete cover over the soil surface and at leasthalf of the vegetation is composed of natural spe-cies (Winward 1989) For riparian areas acrossthe country the rest period should also allow forthe establishment of suffi-cient vegetation to stabi-lize the streambank filtersediments and allow nu-trient recycling Manage-ment practices that favorriparian area revegetationinclude (Askey-Doran2002 Oversby and Smith2001 Undersander andPillsbury 1999 Briggs1993) Checking to see

whether seed sourcesfor native plants arestill present in the area If they are allowthese plants to reestablish naturally for oneyear

Being aware that weed growth will surge fora time after livestock are excluded from theriparian area If seed sources for native plantsare present these plants will be able to com-pete with upland plant species as soil condi-tions improve and the water table rises

Providing weed control especially if invasiveor noxious weeds are present If you prefernot to use herbicides you can smother weedswith organic matting Desired plants can be

planted through this matting In less de-graded areas grazing once or twice in thelate summer can control weeds

Using the natural regeneration of plants toguide your choice of plants to use for assistedrevegetation

Planting native grasses and forbs if riparianvegetation is not able to regenerate naturally

Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast-growing plants before revegetating other por-tions of the riparian area

Allowing new plants to become well estab-lished before allowing livestock to graze inthe revegetated area This establishment pe-riod may last several years especially in aridor severely degraded areas

Grazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing DurationGrazing Duration You can rotationallygraze riparian areas that have established a highwater table and a diverse cover of water-lovingvegetation while not harming and in some caseseven benefiting riparian conditions However

the length of time thatan area can be grazedand the duration ofrest periods betweengrazing cycles de-pends on the plantspecies growing in theriparian area the typeof livestock you aregrazing the amountof prior degradationlocal environmentalconditions and yourproduction objectivesProviding riparian ar-

eas with sufficient rest for critical plant speciesto regrow and reproduce is central to maintain-ing riparian health In fact several leading re-searchers and practitioners stress that timing restperiods appropriately and providing a sufficientduration of rest are more important than the spe-cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al 1997Elmore 1992)

Graziers often use stubble height to monitorupland pasture conditions and to help them makedecisions regarding when to rotate livestockStubble height can also be used as a managementtool in riparian areas The recommended heightof forage residues following grazing differs ac-

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15

cording to environmental conditions (Clary andLeininger 2000) For example Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main-

tain plant vigor trap sediment and protectsoils from compaction when trampled

In woody streambanks moving livestock af-ter they have grazed the forage to 68 inches(1520 cm) may be necessary to ensure thatthey are not feeding on willows or other ri-parian trees because of a lack of non-woodyforages

Stubble height is not a useful guide in areaswhere streambanks are rocky or wherewoody vegetation dominates in the riparianzone

Seasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rSeasonality of rotational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-otational grazing prac-tices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areastices in healthy riparian areas Besides du-ration of grazing the time of year when livestockare allowed access to riparian areas is also criti-cal to maintaining and restoring riparian healthFactors that determine the appropriate time tograze animals in riparian areas include Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt

rainfall and heavy streamflows

Dominant type of riparian vegetation and itsperiods of peak growth and dormancy

Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar-ian plants do they reproduce vegetatively orby seed If by seed when does it set

Freeze and thaw cycles during the winterRiparian areas should not be grazed when

they are wet and most vulnerable to compactionIn the northern US this means excluding ani-mals from riparian areas during late winter snow-melts and spring rains and not allowing animalsin until the soil dries Similarly in areas withheavy late-season rains livestock should bemoved out of riparian areas in the fall

Timing of riparian grazing is important forpreventing erosion and the degradation of soiland water quality In the spring grazing shouldbe delayed until vegetation completely covers theriparian soil This ensures that animals do notdislodge bare soils and cause erosion Fall graz-ing can be used in some areas if it is carefullymonitored leaving enough vegetation at the endof the season to protect against spring runoff anderosion Thus riparian areas should either begrazed in the early fall to allow for forage re-

growth before winter or grazed later in the fallbut only on a limited and well-monitored basis

Timed grazing can also be used to protecthealthy vegetative growth in riparian areas Pe-riodic grazing can be used to remove the apicalmeristems or top portions of grasses and sedgesThis promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu-lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers(Mosley et al 1998) However in areas whereannual plants are critical components of the ri-parian ecosystem grazing should not occur whenthese species are setting seed

Table 5 provides a summary of environmen-tal conditions to consider when deciding whichseasons are most appropriate for riparian graz-ing in your area

A report from the Saskatchewan RiparianProject (Huel 1998) describes how careful tim-ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar-ian areas improved environmental conditionsand productivity on a ranch in the east-cen-tral part of the province

The 3700 acre pasture had previously beendivided into two very large paddocks whichwere grazed continuously throughout the sum-mer by two herds of cattle The cattle spentmost of their time close to the creek over-grazing this area while areas farther awaywere hardly grazed at all This resulted inpoor riparian condition productivity and se-vere damage to the streambanks In 1993 agrazing management plan divided the twolarge paddocks into eleven smaller units andcreated additional water sources The ripar-ian area was divided into three paddocks oneor two of which are rested each year Whenthese paddocks are grazed gazing is deferreduntil the end of summer These practiceshave improved the condition and productivityof the riparian area considerably as indicatedby plants returning to the areas of bare soilon the streambanks These environmentalbenefits have been achieved with no overallreduction in livestock numbers

Understand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockUnderstand How Different LivestockSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies GrazeSpecies Graze Grazing managers should un-derstand the grazing patterns of the animals theymanage (Stuth 1991) Different species prefer

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 16

Tab

le 5

A

pp

rop

riat

e T

ime

s fo

r G

razi

ng

as

Aff

ec

ted

by

Lo

ca

l En

viro

nm

en

tal C

on

dit

ion

s

Sour

ces

Und

ersa

nder

and

Pills

bury

199

9 M

osle

y et

al

199

8 L

eona

rd e

t al

199

7 E

lmor

e 1

992

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

duri

ng

win

ter

afte

r the

gro

und

has f

roze

n

Li

vest

ock

graz

erip

aria

n ar

eas

durin

g sp

ring

Li

vest

ock g

razin

gis

def

erre

d un

tilfa

ll

Rem

ove

lives

tock

from

ripar

ian

area

s be-

fore

gro

und

thaw

s

Mai

ntai

n su

ffici

ent v

eget

atio

n co

ver f

orth

e ca

ptur

e of

spr

ing

runo

ff

Mon

itor s

tand

s of

her

bace

ous

vege

ta-

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at liv

esto

ck a

re n

ot fo

rced

to d

epen

d on

tree

s fo

r for

age

Pl

ace

salt a

nd m

iner

als a

way

from

ripa

r-ia

n ar

eas

M

anag

e gra

zing t

o ens

ure a

dequ

ate s

eed

grow

th a

nd ro

ot p

rodu

ctio

n

Mon

itor v

eget

atio

n co

ver t

o en

sure

a co

m-

plet

e co

ver r

emai

ns to

pro

tect

soil a

gain

stw

inte

r and

sprin

g ru

noff

and

eros

ion

M

onito

r bro

wsi

ng o

n w

oody

spe

cies

toen

sure

pro

tect

ion

of th

ese

plan

ts

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

Man

agem

ent

Prac

tice

Des

crip

tion

ofG

razi

ng S

yste

mIs

Thi

s Pr

actic

eA

ppro

pria

te fo

r you

r Are

aM

anag

emen

t Gui

delin

esC

omm

ents

Win

ter g

razi

ng

Sprin

g gr

azin

g

Fall g

razin

g

Va

ry g

razi

ng lo

catio

nsfro

m y

ear t

o ye

ar

Cul

l or e

xclu

de a

nim

als

that

loaf

in ri

paria

nar

eas

H

oof a

ctio

n in

the

sprin

gca

n m

ix se

eds a

nd lit

ter

with

the

soil

So

il tex

ture

det

erm

ines

how

dry

soi

ls n

eed

to b

ebe

fore

lives

tock

can

tram

ple

on st

ream

bank

sw

ithou

t cau

sing

com

pact

ion

Pr

omot

es th

e gr

owth

of

herb

aceo

us p

lant

s

Dec

reas

es th

e gr

owth

of

woo

dy sp

ecie

s

R

equi

res c

old

win

ters

that

do

not h

ave

freez

e-th

aw co

nditio

ns

Shou

ld n

ot b

e us

ed w

hen

trees

are

youn

g or

bec

omin

g es

tabl

ished

In

arid

are

as t

ime

graz

ing

to c

oinc

ide

with

times

whe

n th

e pa

lata

bilit

y of

up-

land

fora

ge is

sim

ilar t

o th

at o

f rip

aria

nfo

rage

s

In h

umid

clim

ates

gr

aze

afte

rst

ream

bank

s hav

e drie

d out

but

rem

ove

lives

tock

befo

re ve

geta

tion g

rowt

h slo

wsdo

wn

beca

use

of la

te su

mm

er d

ry co

n-di

tions

In

itiate

gra

zing

whe

n co

ol-s

easo

n sp

e-ci

es h

ave

beco

me

prod

uctiv

e on

adj

a-ce

nt u

plan

d ar

eas

D

efer

gra

zing

unt

il gr

ass

and

sedg

ese

eds h

ave r

ipen

ed an

d bee

n disp

erse

d

Eff

ectiv

e in

are

as w

here

coo

lst

ream

bank

tem

pera

ture

s dis

cour

age

anim

als

from

con

greg

atin

g in

ripa

rian

area

s

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17

different forages and graze them to differentheights Species that forage on shrubs and treesmay do so at different stages in the plantsgrowth Different livestock species also have dif-ferent herding and camping characteristics Graz-ing management practices should be designed towork with an animals natural preferences andinstincts (Leonard et al 1997)

Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot daysshould be avoided since animals tend to congre-gate on streambanks where they find shade andcooling breezes Conversely on cool days coldair pockets found in riparian areas will discour-age livestock from grazing or congregating inthese areas (Moseley et al 1998) Sheep tend tocause less damage to ripar-ian areas than cattle be-cause they do not like tocongregate in low-lying ar-eas where they feel vulner-able to predation (Glimpand Swanson 1994) Incontrast large herbivoressuch as cattle are centralplace foragers with theircentral place being nearwater (Stuth 1991)

Specialized grazingmanagement practices canalso successfully controlweeds and non-nativewoody species By under-standing the growth habitsand reproductive cycles ofnoxious and non-nativeplants in relation to thoseof desired riparian plantsthe timing and duration of livestock grazing canbe managed to favor their feeding on weeds orunwanted brush (Paine and Ribic 2001) Chang-ing or combining livestock species can also helpcontrol weeds For example goats can be usedto control blackberries multiflora rose honey-suckle and many other troublesome plants(Luginbuhl et al 2000) In California goats areused to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff 2001)and in Wisconsin a research study is using Scot-tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to helpcontrol prickly ash multiflora rose wild pars-nip and box elder (Shepard 2001) For moreinformation on the use of multispecies grazing

for weed control see the ATTRA publicationMultispecies Grazing

A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon areaof California has restored native perennialgrasses by using high-density short-durationgrazing with cattle and browsing of coastalscrub by goats They rotate Spanish meatgoats through brushy areas two to three timesper year This practice has allowed them todemonstrate effective and environmentallysensitive vegetation management within thescope of an economically viable meat goatbusiness (Macon 2002)

SummaryManagement intensive rota-

tional grazing provides farmersand ranchers with a method forproductively managing theirlivestock while protecting eco-logically important riparian eco-systems To be effective thesemanagement practices must beflexibly implemented based onknowledge of local climate na-tive riparian vegetation currentriparian health and livestock be-havior

Rotational grazing can alsobe installed incrementally toobtain the most benefit fromeach change For example

First install alternative watering systemsaway from streambanks This will increaseanimal productivity by ensuring access toclean water while protecting riparian areasby encouraging animal congregation aroundthe troughs rather than on streambanks or instreambeds

Alternatively install controlled stream accesspoints Encouraging animals to drink or crossstreams in specific managed locations willcut down on random trampling ofstreambanks and will also decrease the riskof animal injury

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 18

Secondly improve upland forage quality through a combination of rotational grazing overseedingand fertility management As upland forage quality improves animals will be less likely to selec-tively feed on riparian plants

As you install fences for rotational grazing set up sufficient paddocks to keep livestock out ofriparian areas during times when these areas are most vulnerable to degradation High-risk timesinclude when the soil is wet or partially frozen when plants are emerging or setting seed or whenplant cover is limited because of dry conditionsWhile the guidelines provided in this publication can assist you in the design and initial implemen-

tation of productive and environmentally beneficial riparian grazing practices locally appropriatemanagement requires ongoing monitoring of livestock and riparian health It also requires the flexibil-ity to revise management practices based on your observations and management objectives Coop-erative Extension Educators Natural Resource Conservation Service grazing specialists and otherexperienced graziers can help you monitor and adjust your grazing practices Grazing groups pro-vide an excellent opportunity to learn from the experience of others while providing you with theopportunity to ask questions about practices you are trying out on your farm For a list of grazinggroups in the US and suggestions for starting a group see the ATTRA publication Grazing Networksfor Livestock Producers

Recommended ReferencesCitation Annotation

Recommended References continued on page 19

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clark EA 1998 Landscape variables affecting live-stock impacts on water quality in the humid temperatezone Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences Vol 78p 181190

Huel D 1998 Streambank Stewardship ASaskatchewan Riparian Project Saskatchewan Wet-land Conservation Corporation ReginaSaskatchewan Accessed at lthttpwwwwetlandskcapdfslandownerstreamstew_FULLpdfgt

Moseley M RD Harmel R Blackwell and T Bidwell1998 Grazing and riparian area management p4753 In MS Cooper (ed) Riparian Area Manage-ment Handbook Oklahoma Cooperative ExtensionService Division of Agricultural Services and NaturalResources Oklahoma State University and the Okla-homa Conservation Commission Accessed at lthttppearlagcommokstateedue952e-952pdfgt

Sovell LA B Vondracek JA Frost and KGMumford 2000 Impacts of rotational grazing andriparian buffers on physiochemical and biological char-acteristics of southeastern Minnesota USA streamsEnvironmental Management Vol 26 No 6 p 629641

Provides an overview of grazing impacts on waterquality in humid climates This paper argues that thepotential impact of grazing on water quality is affectedby climate landforms and biophysical characteris-tics of the watershed Managed grazing practicescan minimize impacts of livestock on water quality

A well-illustrated guide to riparian area ecology res-toration and agricultural use Contains several ripar-ian health checklists and case studies of farmers andranchers who implemented riparian conservation prac-tices

This short article provides a nice combination of eco-logical and management guidelines A description ofthe relationship between grazing pressure and foragegrowth is followed by strategies to manage grazing inriparian areas Four grazing management choicesare outlined encouraging animals to use upland ar-eas allocating riparian areas into special use pas-tures providing total exclusion from riparian areasand constructing controlled access points

A well documented comparison of rotationally-grazedfenced grass and woody riparian buffer areas andtheir impact on water chemistry physical habitat bi-otic indicators fecal coliform and stream turbidityResults showed that grassy or rotationally-grazed buff-ers protected against stream sedimentation better thanwoody buffers

Pasture management in moist climates

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 19

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MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 21

Re

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22

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MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 25

ReferencesAngermeier PL 1997 Conceptual roles of

biological integrity and diversity In JEWilliams CA Wood and MP Dombeck(eds) Watershed Restoration Principlesand Practices American Fisheries SocietyBethesda MD p 445458

Askey-Doran M 2002 Managing and rehabili-tating riparian vegetation Riparian LandManagement Technical Guidelines Landand Water Australia Accessed at lthttpwwwriversgovaupublicatguidelineshtmgt

Beegle DB AN Sharpley WL Stout andDK Bhumbla 1998 Water quality andland resource protection Nutrient andmanure management in pasture systemsIn CR Krueger (ed) Grazing in theNortheast Assessing Current Technolo-gies Research Directions and EducationNeeds Northeast Regional AgriculturalEngineering Service Ithaca NY p 144156

Belsky AJ A Matzke and S Uselman 1999Survey of livestock influences on streamand riparian ecosystems in the westernUnited States Journal of Soil and WaterConservation Vol 54 No 1 p 419431

Berton V 1998 Ten Years of SARE Sustain-able Agiculture Research and EducationProgram CREES US Department ofAgriculture Washington DC p 8283

Briggs M 1993 Evaluating degraded riparianecosystems to determine the potentialeffectiveness of revegetation In BARoundy E D McArthur JS Haley andDK Mann 1995 Proceedings WildlandShrub and Arid Land Restoration Sympo-sium General Technical Report INT-GTR-315 US Department of AgricultureForest Service Intermountain ResearchStation Ogden UT

Burns R T and MJ Buschermohle 2000Selection of alternative livestock wateringsystems University of Tennessee Agri-cultural Extension Service Accessed atltwwwutextensionutkedupbfilespb1641pdfgt

Buschermohle MJ and R T Burns 2000Solar-powered livestock watering systemsUniversity of Tennessee AgriculturalExtension Service Accessed atltwwwutextensionutkedupbfilespb1640pdfgt

Clark EA 1998 Landscape variables affectinglivestock impacts on water quaity in thehumid temperate zone Canadian Journalof Plant Sciences Vol 78 p 181190

Clary WP and BF Webster 1989 Managinggrazing of riparian areas in the Intermoun-tain Region General Technical ReportINT-263 US Department of AgricultureForest Service Intermountain ResearchStation Ogden UT 11 p

Clary WP and WC Leininger 2000 Stubbleheight as a tool for management of ripar-ian areas Journal of Range ManagementVol 53 No 6 p 562573

Elmore W 1992 Riparian responses to grazingpractices In RJ Naiman (ed) WatershedManagement Balancing Sustainability andEnvironmental Change Springer-VerlagNew York p 442457

Debano LF and LJ Schmidt 1989 Improvingsouthwestern riparian areas throughwatershed management USDA ForestService Rocky Mountain Forest and RangeExperiment Station Fort Collins CO

Fitch L and BW Adams 1998 Can cowsand fish co-exist Canadian Journal ofPlant Sciences Vol 78 p 191198

Fyck J 2000 Pasture water systems for live-stock Albert Agriculture Food andRural Development Accessed at lthttpwwwagricgovabcaagdex400400_716-3htmlgt

Glimp HA and SR Swanson 1994 Sheepgrazing and riparian and watershedmanagement Sheep Research JournalSpecial Issue p 6571

Herrick JE JR Brown AJ Tugel PLShaver and KM Havstad 2002 Appli-cation of soil quality to monitoring andmanagement Paradigms from rangelandecology Agronomy Journal Vol 94 p311

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 26

Huel D 1998 Streambank Stewardship ASaskatchewan Riparian ProjectSaskatchewan Wetland ConservationCorporation Regina SaskatchewanAccessed at lthttpwwwwetlandskcapdfslandownerstreamstew_FULLpdfgt

Leonard S G Kinch V Elsbernd MBormanS Swanson 1997 Riparian Area Manage-ment Grazing Management for Riparian-Wetland Areas Technical Reference 1737-14 US Department of the InteriorBureau of Land Management NationalApplied Resource Sciences Center Den-ver CO 63 p

Luginbuhl JM JT Green Jr MH Pooreand AP Conrad 2000 Use of goats tomanage vegetation in cattle pastures in theAppalachian region of North CarolinaSheep and Goat Research Journal Vol16 No 3 p 124130

Lyons J BM Weigel LK Paine and DJUndersander 2000 Influence of intensiverotational grazing on bank erosion fishhabitat quality and fish communities insouthwestern Wisconsin trout streamsJournal of Soil and Water ConservationVol 55 No 3 p 271276

Macon D 2002 Grazing for Change Rangeand Watershed Management SuccessStories in California CaliforniaCattlemens Association Sacramento CA36 p

Morris M J Balsam and V Lynne 2000 TheMontana AgSolar Project Expanding theagricultural uses of solar energy in Mon-tana National Center for AppropriateTechnology Accessed atltwwwmontanagreenpowercompdfagso5-21pdfgt

Moseley M RD Harmel R Blackwell and TBidwell 1998 Grazing and riparian areamanagement p 4753 In MS Cooper(ed) Riparian Area Management Hand-book Oklahoma Cooperative ExtensionService Division of Agricultural Servicesand Natural Resources Oklahoma StateUniversity and the Oklahoma Conserva-tion Commission Accessed at lthttppearlagcommokstateedue952e-952pdfgt

Mosley JC PS Cook AJ Griffis and JOLaughlin 1998 Guidelines for Manag-ing Cattle Grazing in Riparian Areas toProtect Water Quality Review of Researchand Best Management Practices PolicyAccessed at lthttpwwwuidahoeducfwr[agpag15eshtmlgt

National Research Council 2002 RiparianAreas Functions and Strategies forManagement National Academy PressWashington DC Accessed at lthttpbooksnapedubooks0309082951htmlindexhtmlgt

Ohmart RD 1996 Historical and presentimpacts of livestock grazing on fish andwildlife resources in western riparianhabitats p 245279 In PR Krausman(ed) Rangeland Wildlife The Society forRange Management Denver CO

Oversby B and J Smith 2001 Riparian zonerevegation in the Avon catchment WaterNotes Water and Rivers CommissionAccessed at ltwwwwrcwagovaupublicWaterNotespdf24pdfgt

Paine LK and CA Ribic 2001 Comparisonof riparian plant communities under fourland management systems in southwest-ern Wisconsin Agriculture Ecosystemsand Environment Vol 92 No 1 p 93105

Paine LK D Undersander and MD Casler1999 Pasture growth production andquality under rotational and continuousgrazing management Journal of Produc-tion Agriculture Vol 12 p 569577

Pittroff W 2001 Grazing weeds and toxins A viable control alternative NoxiousTimes Winter p 45 Accessed atlthttppicdfacagovnoxioustimesWinter2001pdfgt

Platts W S and RF Raleigh 1984 Impacts ofgrazing on wetlands and riparian habitatIn Committee on Developing Strategiesfor Rangeland Management (eds) Devel-oping Strategies for Rangeland Manage-ment National Research CouncilNa-tional Academy of Sciences WestviewPress Boulder CO p 11051117

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 27

Shepard R 2001 Highland Cattle in OakSavanah Restoration 2001 Report on theMulti-Agency Land and Water EducationGrant Program University of Wisconsin-Extension Accessed at ltclean-wateruwexedumalwegpdfssavannapdfgt

Shock CC 2000 Riparian Areas MalheurExperiment Station Oregon State Univer-sity Accessed at lthttpwwwcropinfonetripiarianhtmgt

Skinner QD and JD Hiller 1996 RiparianZones Then and Now An EnhancedEnvironment Created by Agriculture p68172 In W Lockeretz (ed) Proceed-ings Environmental EnhancementThrough Agriculture Center for Agricul-ture Food and Environment School ofNutrition Science and Policy Tufts Univer-sity Medford MA

Sovell LA B Vondracek JA Frost and KGMumford 2000 Impacts of rotationalgrazing and riparian buffers onphysiochemical and biological characteris-tics of southeastern Minnesota USAstreams Environmental ManagementVol 26 No 6 p 629641

Stuth JW 1991 Foraging behavior In RKHeitschmidt and JW Stuth (eds) GrazingManagement An Ecological PerspectiveTimber Press Inc Portland OR

Undersander D and B Pillsbury 1999Grazing Streamside Pastures Universityof Wisconsin Extension Madison WI16 p

Wang L J Lyons P Kanehl and R Gatti1997 Influences of watershed land use onhabitat quality and biotic integrity inWisconsin streams Fisheries Vol 22No 6 p 612

Whitaker-Hoagland J M Howery A StaceyR Smith S Tully R Masters D LeslieJr and S Stoodley 1998 Managingriparian areas for wildlife p 5561 InMS Cooper (ed) Riparian Area Manage-ment Handbook Oklahoma CooperativeExtension Service Division of Agricul-tural Services and Natural ResourcesOklahoma State University and OklahomaConservation Commission Accessed atlthttppearlagcommokstateedue952e-952pdfgt

Winward AH 1989 Appendix III Calculat-ing ecological satus and resource valueratings in riparian areas In WP Claryand BF Webster (eds) Managing grazingof riparian areas in the IntermountainRegion Genenal Technical Report INT-263 US Department of AgricultureForest Service Intermountain ResearchStation Ogden UT p 1011

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Caroline van Schaik of the Land Stewardship Project for providing me with adraft version of the excellent bibliography Water Grass and Livestock Special thanks to LauraPaine with University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension in Columbia County for her detailedreview of this publication ATTRA specialists Nancy Matheson Tim Johnson and Ron Morrowalso provided excellent reviews and resource recommendations

By Barbara C BellowsNCAT Agriculture Specialist

Edited by Paul WilliamsFormatted by Gail Hardy

June 2003

MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREASPAGE 28

copy2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS

The electronic version of Managed Grazing in RiparianAreas is located atHTMLhttpwwwattrancatorgattra-pubmanagedgrazehtmlPDFhttpwwwattrancatorgattra-pubPDFmanagedgrazepdf

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