Examples of Non-Conservative Agricultural Practices

Livestock Wading in Stream

Animal waste, including manure and urinary waste can enter streams directly when livestock wade in and around the water. Animals also trample streambanks and damage fish habitat. Animal wastes deposited in waterbodies can accelerate eutrophication and contaminate water used for fishing, swimming, and drinking. Streambank fencing is one way to protect streams from livestock damage.

Many channelized waters, including roadside ditches, are poorly maintained and usually absent of vegetative buffers and ground cover. Increased sediment load, especially resulting from tilled fields, and pollutant runoff from impervious roads, decrease the quality of the water and negatively impact the surrounding habitat.

Fields that are totally denuded of soil cover result in advanced compaction and increased weathering of the soil. This practice increases runoff dramatically and also increases the amount of sediment and pollutants from pesticides and herbicides in nearby water sources. A good alternative is conservation tillage where ground cover after harvest remains on the fields throughout the year. This cover protects the soil by keeping it anchored to the vegetation.
 
 

Crops planted on the edge of streams can create many problems with soil stability. With heavy farm machinery for planting and harvesting and heavy rainfall, increased soil compaction and bank erosion will result over time and the soil will be pushed into the stream thereby increasing sediment load and decreasing the area of the bank. Planting close to a stream edge should be avoided; area around the stream should be maintained with adequate trees and vegetation along the bank.