February 3, 2017
CapitalPress.com
5
Animal feeding operations get help keeping creeks clean
By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
For the Capital Press
Assistance programs for
farmers and ranchers can
help get livestock away from
streambanks by developing
alternative sources of stock
water.
Eileen Rowan, of the Idaho
Soil and Water Conservation
Orofino field office, says one
of the most successful efforts
has been animal feeding oper-
ation projects in a five-county
area in Northern Idaho.
These involved coopera-
tion between the five districts,
Soil and Water Conservation,
Department of Environmental
Quality, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, land-
owners and others.
“We started some proj-
ects in 2006. The last one
was completed in 2014,” she
said.
These projects were
aimed at improving water
quality by reducing sediment
and bacteria and nitrate con-
tamination. This was done
by changing the facilities
to keep runoff from feeding
areas out of streams, she
said.
Winter is usually when
cattle are concentrated for
feeding, and traditionally feed
yards have been near streams
so the cattle could drink.
“These projects involved
fencing cattle away from the
creeks,” Rowan said. “Then
you have to provide another
watering source. This required
pipelines, troughs, spring de-
velopments, and in some cas-
Courtesy Photo
The area along the creek was fenced to keep cattle away at the Stower ranch near Whitebird, Idaho.
es we had to drill wells.”
Final cost-share figures
approved by the committee
came to slightly more than $1
million.
Funds were from the Idaho
Department of Environmental
Quality and the Idaho Soil and
Water Conservation Commis-
sion. The average cost-share
for each of the 60 projects was
roughly $17,604, or about
$122 per animal in designated
feeding areas.
The projects helped stock-
men comply with water qual-
ity requirements for feed yard
runoff.
Ray Stower’s ranch, 6
miles from Whitebird, Idaho,
is an example.
“We live right along the
creek, and this was my grand-
parents’ ranch. The old feedlot
Fisher’s Supply is your Source for
high efficiency water solutions.
We offer irrigation design and
consulting, irrigation pumps,
VFD’s, valves and control systems.
is a fenced-off area for winter
feeding. The cattle went to the
creek for water,” Stower said.
“When we have 250 weaned
calves in there and they are
bawling, pacing the fence and
all go to the creek, it creates a
lot of impact, especially if it
rains for several days.”
Trails going into the creek
carry muddy water, he said.
“I decided to see if there
would be any help for correct-
ing this,” he said.
The first time he talked to
Soil and Water Conservation
there wasn’t any help avail-
able.
“The next year, Eileen
called and said there was
money available if I still
wanted to do it,” said Stow-
PUMPS
WELL DRILLING
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COMPLETE
WATER SYSTEMS
21881 River Rd NE - 97137
ST. PAUL, OR
1902 Airport Way - 99354
RICHLAND, WA
er. “They created a great plan
and gave me a lot of help with
it. This project accomplished
what they wanted, and was re-
ally good for us, too.”
It became a win-win situ-
ation.
“I hated the idea of having
more fence to maintain, and
paying taxes on an acre I don’t
get to use (next to the creek),
but the benefits far outweigh
any drawbacks,” Stower said.
The project included an
alternative source of water for
cattle.
“Up the draw there is a re-
ally good spring; I’ve never
seen it go dry. So we put in
a spring box and piped water
gravity flow down to our feed
yard with a 1.25-inch pipe,”
he said.
He used a 12-foot diam-
eter rubber tire for a water
trough.
It holds about 1,300 gal-
lons and has room around it
for many cattle to drink at
once.
“A year ago, when we
weaned in the fall and first
used the new pen, I was wor-
ried that the spring wouldn’t
keep up with 250 calves,”
he said. “For about 10 days
we opened up the gate to the
creek, and fenced off a small
water gap so calves could go
to the creek if necessary.”
It was a spot where the
banks were solid.
“This option was created
in case I ever needed to have
cattle water in the creek,” he
said. “We put panels across it
so they could only access the
creek in that one spot.”
He is happy with the entire
project.
“Eileen was really good to
work with, and it turned out
well. If anyone wants to look
at it, to see what might be pos-
sible on their own place, they
are welcome,” he said.
• WATER WELLS • PUMPS • IRRIGATION
• INDUSTRIAL • TEST PUMPING
• SCREENED & FILTER PACKED WELLS
• DOWN HOLE VIDEOS
• WELLS TO 20” DIAMETER
• WELL REHABILITATION
“Since 1946”
“Since 1923”
(503) 633-2666
Serving all Oregon and Washington
WESTERBERG
DRILLING INC.
R. STADELI & SONS
WELL & PUMP INC.
503-829-2526
503-873-5245
36728 S. KROPF RD.
4385 STADELI LN. NE.
• Water Well Drilling
• Pumps and water systems
• VFDs & Controls
• Water treatment & filtration
• Well repair & rehabilitation
• Flow tests & water quality testing • Complete pump repair
MOLALLA
SILVERTON
STEVE & DAN STADELI
Emergency Service
659 SW 1st Ave.
Canby OR 97013
Nathan Leao
(503) 519-8298
nathan@fisherssupply.com
W17-2#7
www.fisherssupply.com
Vic Schneider
(503) 572-0305
vic@fisherssupply.com
www.SchneiderWater.com
Authorized
Dealer For:
“Serving the water needs of the Northwest since 1945”
W17-2/#7
W17-2/#7