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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2008-1522v1 87/6/2151    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Franklin, D. H. Articles by Calvert, V. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Franklin, D. H. Articles by Calvert, V. H., II

Impact of water troughs on cattle use of riparian zones in the Georgia Piedmont, USA

D. H. Franklin, M. L. Cabrera^*, H. L. Byers^*, M. K. Matthews^*, J. G. Andrae^*, D. E. Radcliffe^*, M. A. McCann^,, H. A. Kuykendall, C. S. Hoveland^* and V. H. Calvert, II^¶

USDA-ARS, J. Phil Campbell Sr., Natural Resource Conservation Center, Watkinsville, GA 30677 , ^* Department of Crop and Soil Sciences , Department of Animal and Dairy Science , ^¶ Central Research and Education Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USDA – NRCS, Athens, GA 30602

dory.franklin{at}ars.usda.gov

Abstract

Cattle use of riparian areas may lead to stream water contamination with nutrients, pathogens, and sediments. Providing alternative water away from the stream may reduce the amount of time cattle spend near streams and therefore reduce contamination. We conducted this study to 1) evaluate the effect of providing water troughs outside of the riparian zones on the amount of time cattle spend in riparian zones, and 2) evaluate if environmental factors such as temperature and humidity affect the impact of water trough availability on the amount of time cattle spend within riparian and non-riparian locations. Global Positioning System (GPS) collars were used to document cow locations every 5 min in two mixed tall fescue/common bermudagrass pastures of the Georgia Piedmont, USA. We found that when the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) ranged between 62 and 72, providing cattle with water troughs outside of riparian zones tended to decrease time cattle spent in riparian zones by 63% (52 min d^-1; P = 0.11) . When THI ranged between 72 and 84, non-riparian water availability did not have a significant impact on the amount of time cattle spent in the riparian zone or in riparian shade. These results suggest that water troughs placed away from unfenced streams may improve water quality by reducing the amount of time cattle spend in riparian zones when environmental conditions as evaluated by THI are not stressful.

Key Words: Beef cattle • Riparian zones • GPS collars • tall fescue