The Rural Voice, 2003-11, Page 28A Greg Countg familg's management changes
prove that
Trout Streams and Cattle
Pastures do mix
By Nancy Tilt
Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association
Hills, valleys and the
headwaters of trout streams
often go hand in hand. Such
is the case with land owned by
Couch Acre Angus in Grey County
just east of Chatsworth, where Jim
Couch manages an 80 -head Black
Angus cow -calf operation.
His 340 -acre farm, within the
headwaters of the Bighead River and
the unique topography of the Niagara
Escarpment, is a model example of
trout stream rehabilitation adjacent
to land pastured by cattle.
Jim comes by his stewardship
commitment honestly. He and his
father, Jim Sr., purchased the land
nine years ago. Unlimited cattle
access had caused severe degradation
of the streams on the property. With
financial and technical support from
the Grey County Agricultural
Services Centre and the Ministry of
Natural Resources' Community
24 THE RURAL VOICE
Fisheries Involvement Program,
Jim's father planted trees on unstable
slopes, stabilized streambanks with
log cribbing, deflectors and rocks,
and fenced cattle out of the streams.
Jim Sr. passed away a year ago,
but not without leaving a legacy of
trout stream restoration. His efforts
have allowed the streams to reclaim
their gravel substrates that are so
vital for successful trout spawning.
his son proudly notes, "Rainbow and
brown trout are once again able to
spawn successfully."
However, the cattle still require
access to water. Providing this
access, while still maintaining the
integrity of the streams traversing the
property, has provided some
interesting challenges.
The Couches received an
Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
award in 2001 for a unique waterer of
their own design. Taking advantage
At an upstream
site on the farm of
Jim Couch, cattle
are provided water
at a single point in
the corner of the
constructed corral.
Gravel protects the
banks and channel
from trampling.
of stream gradient, they built an in -
stream, flow-through catch basin.
The cattle access the basin from a
concrete pad on the other side of a
fence.
Fencing along the length of this
stretch of stream completely protects
its banks from erosion through
trampling. The design worked so
well that they subsequently created a
second waterer at another similar
location.
Jim Jr. is continuing his father's
legacy with the help of the Ontario
Cattlemen's Association (OCA). In
2001 OCA and the Ontario Sheep
Marketing Agency offered an
environmental opportunity to their
member producers to establish 25
demonstration projects across
Ontario.
These projects promote Best
Management Practices (BMPs) for
the protection of groundwater and
surface water resources,
improvement of soil health, and
reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions. The Ontario Soil and Crop
Improvement Association (OSCIA)
delivers the project through funding
from Agriculture and Agri -Food
Canada's Agricultural Stewardship
Initiative (AESI) administered by the
Ontario Agricultural Adaptation
Council and the Ontario Farm
Environmental Coalition.
Jim's demonstration project