SEDIMENT LOSSES FROM A PASTURED WATERSHED BEFORE AND AFTER STREAM FENCING

Livestock induced sediment loss is one of the potential detrimental im parts from om grazing grasslands. Near Coshocton, Ohio, a 26-ha unimpr oved pasture watershed was grazed year-around and no fertilizer was ap plied. A beef cow herd had access to the entire watershed study area i ncluding the small stream that originated within the watershed i.e. th ere was no rotational grazing in the pasture. Sediment loss via the st ream was measured at the base of the watershed. Following 7 years of t his management practice the stream and the wooded areas on the a sides of the stream were fenced so that the rattle no longer had access to them. During the next 5 years, with the cattle fenced out of the strea m, the annual sediment concentration decreased by more than 50% and th e amount of soil lost decreased by 40%. Average annual soil losses wer e reduced from 2.5 to 1.4 Mg/ha while annual precipitation averages we re similar during each management period.