Water Conservation in livestock production
The City of Lethbridge provides water services to municipalities in the surrounding region. This includes a lot of farmlands. Last week, we explored advancements and challenges in agricultural water conservation. This week, we narrow the focus to livestock producers. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, maximizing water efficiency can also help producers reduce costs, and improve animal health and productivity. We are borrowing the bulk of this information from an Agri-News article published in January of 2024.
According to Shawn Elgert, agricultural water engineer with the Government of Alberta, there are several ways livestock producers can conserve water for livestock.
1. Keep animals away from water sources.
“Things like feces, urine and pathogens can contaminate a water source,” explains Elgert. “That affects both the quality and quantity of water available.” Damage to water source banks and vegetation by livestock can also result in erosion and sedimentation. Some ways to prevent these issues include fencing off water sources and using troughs, tanks or pipelines for off-source watering systems.
2. Optimize dugout efficiency.
It’s important to avoid dugout water loss due to evaporation and seepage. That begins with location and size. Place dugouts where they can fill eight out of 10 years, and size them according to water demand, runoff potential and climate. “Use covers to minimize evaporation and curb algal growth,” advises Elgert. “Liners can also be used to prevent seepage.”
3. Choose nozzles wisely.
Using the right nozzle is important for efficient and effective cleaning tasks, like washing livestock, equipment and facilities. “Consider using a high-pressure nozzle to cut down on cleaning time and water usage,” offers Elgert. Rinsing large areas with a fan-shaped nozzle, as opposed to a jet-shaped nozzle, is another good way to maximize water efficiency.
4. Don’t overflow tanks.
Pay attention when manually filling water containers. Overfilling buckets, barrels or troughs not only wastes water, it can also damage both the container and surrounding area. Float valves are a great way to automatically stop water flow when a container is full.
5. Trap that cold, white stuff!
Pardon us for using the s-word… but snow fencing is a great winter water conservation tool. It creates a barrier and/or windbreak to reduce wind speed, controlling the movement and accumulation of snow. As Elgert notes, this is particularly relevant in southern Alberta. “It enhances water runoff into dugouts by capturing snow in catchment areas, facilitating snowmelt to replenish water supply. This is especially helpful in areas with low precipitation and high evaporation.”
Elgert notes there are several other ways to conserve water in a livestock operation:
Use Best Management Practices (BMP) for water sources to help protect quality and quantity.
Control flowing wells.
Monitor for leaky pipelines.
Use pasture pipelines from unused sources.