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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2020)
AGRI-BUSINESS JUNE 2020 THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 7 No more chopping ■ Off-channel watering system means Baker County rancher no longer needs to chop holes in creek ice to water his livestock By Corey Kirk Baker City Herald The long Pine Valley winters of chopping through creek ice to create a watering hole for his livestock is a task of the past for Rob Crawford. Thanks to a collaborative effort involving Idaho Power Company and the Powder Basin Watershed Council, an off-channel water- ing project fi nished last year on Crawford’s property has been deemed a success. “I’ve been very satisfi ed with the project, it was wonderful working with Comco construc- tion, Mark Chrisman’s outfi t, and it was great working with Idaho Power and the (Powder Basin) Watershed Council,” Crawford said. The idea behind off-channel watering is to provide a place for cattle and other livestock to drink that, as the name implies, is not within a stream channel. Having cattle drink directly from a creek or river can cause a variety of problems, said Christo Morris, executive director of the Pow- der Basin Watershed Council. “Allowing livestock direct access to the creek can cause water quality problems from excrement in the creek, they can damage the riparian vegetation, and it’s dangerous for livestock because it is diffi cult to get down to the creek,” Morris said. And in Crawford’s case it also meant a lot of cold work during the winter in one of the snowiest valleys in Northeastern Oregon, where snow depths are more typically mea- sured in feet than in inches. Better still, Crawford didn’t have to spend any money on the project that installed three watering troughs on his property. See Chopping/Page 11 Commercial & Ag Loans Contact Your Local Branch to Get Started or Apply Online Today We Are Your Source For: • • • • Farm Real Estate Loans Ag Operating & Livestock Loans Equipment Loans FSA Guaranteed Loans Contact Us Today www.communitybanknet.com 800-472-4292 Home of Local Money Working For Local People La Grande - Baker City Elgin - Wallowa Enterprise - Joseph www.gossmotors.com Member FDIC 1415 Adams Ave, La Grande 541-963-4161
