Cows And Fish

[Smitty]

So occasionally I like to look through my back issues of the AB Fishing Guide in the winter - gets me dreaming, plus some great articles, past and present.

 

Anyways, I came across this article in the 1999 issue called "Alberta Streams: Restoring the Glory" by Kevin Van Tighem.

 

Fascinating article; particularly the differences between bison (evolved for the dry prairie) and cattle (water/riparian lovers, and generally not good for streambanks).

 

Kevin spoke about Callum creek, how it used to be narrow and deep, then, through damage by cows, it generally became wide and shallow.

 

So my question is, is the Cows and Fish program still arouind today? Are there active efforts to restore some of the small creeks in the foothills. I was so intrigued by all the possibilities of these "prairie" creeks that use to hold native cutts. Is that what it was like 100 years ago? All those tiny Oldman, Castle, Crow, Waterton etc etc tribs full of cutts and bulls that, in places, were over, like 8' feet deep.

 

Let me give you an example. When I drive hwy 22, of course, all of us have driven over Willow creek. Now, I just recently noted this year that Willow creek is one bloody long creek (for an AB creek that is). And it looks godawful from the highway. Muddy, wide, and shallow. Was this another one of the creeks Kevin was talking about?

 

Anyways, basically I just want to know if this program is still going on and whether there are any good creeks that would make good candidates for restoration.

 

Smitty

 

 

[Taco]

seems to be more watershed groups all the time, most producers I talk too are well aware of the impact of cattle, not so 20 yrs ago.

 

 

http://www.cowsandfish.org/

[DonAndersen]

Smitty,

 

Cows and Fish is alive and doing good work. It is headed by Lorne Fitch a past Regional Biologist from southern Alberta. Lorne is a great guy who cares.

They do assessments and help livestock producers all over Alberta do it a different way that was done 30 years ago. As Taco said, watershed groups have sprung up all over Alberta. Some are more effective than others of maintaining or improving stream health.

 

Don

[jksnijders]

 

 

I took a few range management courses in school, I was always surprised by how little attention was given to water supply by alot of people.

Both in terms of damage by livestock to the supply, be it stream, dugout, etc. and the effects it had on the animals as a result. We always watered from dugouts, but would limit access to where cows could only access what they needed to drink. Free access to water usually ends up with animals defecating in it, wrecking any stability in the banks, and therefore making their own supply a possible source of sickness. (Not to mention, in the case of streams, other ecosystems.) I always felt streams should be treated the same way, for obvious reasons. We never had any on our land, but I read of many guys ways of limiting water access and therefore damage. I had an instructor named Jim Stone who did water system setup design using solar power, etc. Smart guy. As for buffalo, definitely a more efficient animal in many ways. General disease tolerance, feed efficiency, calving ease, etc. Can be hard on fences though..

[Harps]

Smitty, there are good riparian restoration projects going on all over S. Alberta.

I've worked with a few of the groups, and know of alot more, but they are moving forward and doing much better.

 

There have been some real noticable benefits in the past decade. Even Callum Creek, while there are no trout in it yet, has started to grow shrubby riparian vegetation and the banks have been stabilized. It may be an excellent meadow trout stream if trout become established and there is enough constant temperature water (maybe a higher water table from upstream beaverdams).

 

I won't name any Alberta creeks but check out what some ranchers have done in Montana with the Blackfoot legacy project.

http://www.themontanalegacyproject.org/

There was a recent tour of Alberta landowners to the Blackfoot and many are thinking that it is a direction they want to take.

 

[Taco]

take a rod along and check out some of those cks you've named, some of them may just surprise ya.

[DonAndersen]

Guys,

 

Doc Seaman's OH Ranch is doing much the same thing as Harps pointed out in Montana.

 

See: http://www.ohranch.com/ranchbackgrounder.html

 

 

And another story:

 

Some years ago I was looking for a place to do a pontoon boat pick up on the upper Oldman River. Checked my MD maps and headed for the landowner's place. Knocked on the door and a older gal directed me towards the barns and corrals NW of the house. There they were - a old grizzled guy + a shiny rubber tired backhoe backed up to the stream digging away. No surprise for me. Seen it lots of times.

The old guy and I hunkered and chewed for a time and he asked me what I was up to. Told him about the access - he says "Go ahead".

Just when I turned to go he says " do you think that them little trout can get up through here now to spawn". Boy, did that spark a conversation. He related that cuts had used the stream for all the years his family had owned the property and he was trying to make amends for years of cow abuse. There is hope!

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[Jeffro]

Guys,

 

And another story:

 

Checked my MD maps and headed for the landowner's place. Knocked on the door and a older gal directed me towards the barns and corrals NW of the house. There they were - a old grizzled guy + a shiny rubber tired backhoe backed up to the stream digging away. No surprise for me. Seen it lots of times.

The old guy and I hunkered and chewed for a time and he asked me what I was up to. Told him about the access - he says "Go ahead".

Just when I turned to go he says " do you think that them little trout can get up through here now to spawn". Boy, did that spark a conversation. He related that cuts had used the stream for all the years his family had owned the property and he was trying to make amends for years of cow abuse. There is hope!

 

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

I take it this was before DFO took over the praires. I know of a similar situation of a creek of Pinchers that did the exact opposite and more damage than a cow could have done in a thousand years. Also have seen many lets say "organizations" bypass the regulations regarding streambeds to bring water to where it was wanted with no consideration of the water quality or fisheries

 

Agreed some people can take it upon themselves to better a stream, but I would feel more comfortable with someone knowing what to do as opposed to winging it with heavy equipment.

[DonAndersen]

Jeffro,

 

The rancher was removing a dam that he'd constructed to back up the water for his cows. He also related to me that the flat we were standing in had been covered with willows when he was a kid. All but one or two were gone, banks were eroded etc. Typical cow business along streams. What is very important is that he learned and will pass the learning onto his grandkids.

I do doubt that DFO or Dept. of Environment or SRD or Coast Guard or any other Govt regulatory group was consulted on either placing of the dam or it's removal.

 

I do realize that good intentions really can screw up a trout stream. Look @ the 3 Rivers Damn as a prime example.

 

 

 

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[Harps]

What!!! Somebody not talking to DFO!!!

wait... What!!! Somebody doing good on a trout stream!!!

 

I'm a touch bias, but... a good rancher will have a healthy water supply and maintain it through proper grazing management.

I grew up on a ranch that believed in co-existing with the environment, not competing or subduing it.

 

This is one of our riparian quarters (this past spring) and lately I've been disapointed at the management on some parts, but we keep cow-calves on it throughout the fall and winter. It also used to be a well used elk valley and I treed my first cougar in it as well as ran away from countless bears.

 

Don, Hopefully the idea catches on... Diamond Willow Beef has done well with organic meats (selling in Save-on now), and I hope the watershed health is coming along as good. I'm not sure how they view access though?

 

Even if a stream is overgrazed, it can come back with TLC (or if it is ignored). Straightened channels, berms, logged hillsides, parking lots, and poor road crossings are alot harder to recover from.

 

As for good intentions... look at the wooden cribwalls that are failing on Dogpound Creek... they will be hard to fix without heavy equipment. Good intentions, but maybe it was just a short term bandaid?

[DanJ]

The Bow River Chapter of Trout Unlimited has performed similar work on the Bow River. If you're at the fly fishing expo this year stop by the TU booth to have a look at what has/is being done...

[DanJ]

There is an article in the "Currents" TU publication regarding the Bow River project here:

http://www.tucanada.org/images/publication...ents_SP2007.pdf