Riaparian Considerations

Water

Fresh water is a vital resource which not only sustains life, but is required for many other needs such as industrial, recreational and aesthetic.

Water is prominent in Alberta landscapes and provides habitat for many different wildlife species.

Forests play a vital role in helping to keep water clean and safe.  As such it is important that we as landowners make every effort to keep the water

on our land clean and to prevent  contamination.  In many cases, woodlots may be adjacent to, or even part of, cattle operations.  An implication of

this is that we should make every effort to control watering and ensure the health of our streams.  Not only is this good for our streams but also has

the benefit that the clean water results in better weight gain and healthier cattle.  One mechanism to accomplish this is to fence the riparian area off

from grazing and use solar, wind powered pumping systems.  Mechanically driven nose pumps can be an aid in such a system.

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