Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Impacts of managed grazing on stream ecology and water quality

Project ID: 2002-U19

Abstract

The project measures and analyzes the varying effects different grazing systems have on the nutrients that appear in surface runoff.

Key Question: Can sediment and phosphorus pollution of pasture streams be controlled by grazing management?

Findings: The results of the project demonstrated that sediment and phosphorus loading from upland areas of pastures may be controlled by using grazing management practices that maintained forage height at 4 inches or greater. Similarly, maintaining adequate forage along pasture streams limited sediment and phosphorus loading from stream bank erosion. However, the confounding of stocking management practices with stocking rate and climatic variables make it difficult to define which management practices are most beneficial.

Lead investigator: Jim Russell, ISU Animal Science, et al

Year of grant completion: 2006

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Initiative.

Topics: Nutrient management