How often do you walk the waterways, riverbanks and marshy areas of your pastures? These transitional areas from pasture to waterway, called riparian zones, are vital to soil and water health and deserve attention now and again to ensure cattle haven’t been too hard on them, or that invasive species or undesired species have moved in to take over.
In this Beef Research School episode, Ken Lewis, conservation coordinator with Red Deer County, explains not only what a riparian area is, but also why the plant type and mix is essential to stabilizing stream and river banks. Learn how to assess the health of the riparian zones on your farm or ranch, and, in the next Beef Research School, you’ll learn about steps you can take to improve or repair riparian areas.
If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.