Cold weather

[whiteface]

Sorry Linda and WoolyBear, I'm reading faster than thinking and so looking for anything to think about other than my water problems. The rumors that will start now 'eh! Have a good day guys!

[cowman]

emerald: This whole watering out of the springs has been sort of a controversy around here. My son is doing the environmental farm plan thing and thinks we need to fence them out. The way I see it is my great grandfather watered them there and from the amount of buffalo skulls we've found there I guess the buffalo were at it long before any men got here. I personally don't see it as a problem. There is a huge dam right below these springs and although algae can be a problem if you don't take care of it, we've had trout in there for many years.
As you said I would need a pretty good waterer(or two) if I went away from watering at the springs. When we put in a new well and water system near the corrals we put in a line complete with large riser pipe. This was done because we realized sooner or later the "enviro police" would probably come knocking! I figure why change until they force us to, but my son gets in with these tree hugger government types and figures he should be pro-active! Myself I figure if some goofy government types want to change things then they should be paying for them, but of course that isn't how it works.

[cowman]

cowman, there are regulations in place regarding feeding sites adjacent to water courses,springs etc. This legislation came into effect January1/05. Your son's being involved in the Environmental Farm Plan is a very proactive move on his part. From the rumblings that I keep hearing banks will soon require environmental farm plans as a matter of course.
The Environmental Farm Plan is a good tool for producers to use to have a check and balance of their operating practices.
I don't see watering near a spring as nearly as large a problem as the operations that are still watering on the rivers. I have seen some photos of manure build up on the ice near watering holes and it is disgusting.