Case Study Demonstrates Water Quality Benefits of Better Grazing Management Practices

Water sampling stations and grazing management practice implementation sites in the Olema Creek Watershed. Water quality improved significantly over the study period as more grazing management best practices were implemented.

Lewis, D.J.; Voeller, D.; Saitone, T.L.; Tate, K.W. Management Scale Assessment of Practices to Mitigate Cattle Microbial Water Quality Impairments of Coastal Waters. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5516.

October 2019 - Point Reyes National Seashore staff, in collaboration with UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis, recently published an article examining the long-term, on-the-ground benefits of collaborative efforts to improve grazing management and water quality in the Olema Creek watershed. The case study, Management Scale Assessment of Practices to Mitigate Cattle Microbial Water Quality Impairments of Coastal Waters, involved trend analysis of a 19-year data set of fecal indicator bacteria samples taken at water quality monitoring stations along Olema Creek, a primary tributary to Tomales Bay. Results indicated that, with the implementation of 40 grazing management practices over the study period, overall mean reductions in fecal coliform concentrations exceeded 95%. The grazing practices consisted of three types: stream corridor fencing to eliminate or control cattle access, hardened stream crossings to facilitate cattle movements across stream corridors, and off stream drinking water systems for cattle. The results demonstrate the importance of prioritizing sources of water quality impairment at the watershed scale. They also show the value of strategic investment in grazing management best practices to protect coastal water quality and public health.

Check out the open access article, published in the journal Sustainability, for more information, or contact Dylan Voeller with any questions.

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