Agriculture and Environment: Beef

Better Management Practices: Protect Riparian Areas

Cattle ranchers need to protect the natural vegetation near streams from prolonged cattle grazing, as this vegetation keeps stream banks from eroding and prevents nutrients from entering and polluting streams.

This can be done through fencing, creating alternative watering locations, building bridges over streams, and in general more closely monitoring pasture management.

Sustainable resource management of riparian zones pays off in long-term environmental gains, reduced expenditures to repair stream-related infrastructure, and overall economic gains.