Pasture and Riparian Management (small ranchette-type operation)

For each category listed on the left that is appropriate to your situation, click the box under rank 1-4 that best applies. Your "rank number" will then be genrated on the right.

Glossary for this Fact Worksheet

Information for this Fact Worksheet (PDF)

 

Please Select Your County:

Riparian Area Management (Addressed in Sections 1-5)
 
Low Risk
(rank 4)
Low-Mod Risk
(rank 3)
Mod-High Risk
(rank 2)
High Risk
(rank 1)
Your Rank
1. Streambank condition More than 90% of the
streambanks are stable with plant cover or large rocks. Little or no active erosion.		 70-90% of the streambanks are stable with plant cover or large rocks. Some active erosion. --- Less than 70% of the streambanks are stable with plant cover or large rocks. Active erosion very evident.

 

 

 
2. Livestock access to stream Stream fenced to exclude livestock. --- Limited livestock access
to stream.		 Livestock have unlimited access to stream.

 

 

 
3. Streamside (riparian) vegetation Stream well shaded with trees and/or shrubs. Perennial plants dominate with few or no annual plants. --- Trees and/or shrubs providing some shade. Perennial plants dominate with some annual plants. Little or no shade provided by trees and/or shrubs. Perennial or annual plants may dominate.

 

 

 
4. Streamside
(riparian) vegetation trend		 Streamside tree and/or shrub seedlings present and growing well. --- Streamside tree and/or shrub seedlings present but not growing well. Streamside tree and/or shrub seedlings not present.

 

 

 

Pasture Management (Addressed in Section 1)
5. Grazing management Two or more pastures used in rotation to allow plant rest. Grazing period begins at a 6" leaf length and ends at 3". Plant height at least 3" going into winter. Pasture(s) not allowed rest, but grazing period begins at a 6" leaf length and ends with at least 3". Plant height at least 3" going into winter. Two or more pastures used in rotation to allow plant rest but grazing period begins at less than a 6" leaf length and/or plants grazed shorter than 3". Plant height less than 3" going into winter. Pasture(s) not allowed rest. Grazing period begins at less than a 6" leaf length and/or plants grazed shorter than 3". Plant height less than 3" going into winter.

 

 
6. Plant Health Forage plants are healthy with dark green leaves, deep roots, and vigorous regrowth. Very few weeds. High production. --- Forage plants somewhat unhealthy. Plant
production beginning to decrease. Weeds
increasing.		 Forage plants are unhealthy and may have yellowish colored leaves, shallow roots, small size, or slow regrowth. Weeds common. Low production.

 

 

 
7. Heavy use area(s) (corrals, troughs, or salt areas with little or no protective plant cover) Heavy use area(s)
established well away from stream or irrigation ditch.		 Heavy use area(s)
established near stream or irrigation ditch, but runoff is diverted and/or captured.		 Heavy use area(s) near stream or irrigation ditch and runoff is not diverted or captured. Heavy use area(s) located adjacent to stream or irrigation ditch.

 

 
8. Irrigation (Complete only if irrigated) Sprinkler irrigated with little runoff, OR surface irrigated with no stream in or adjacent to pasture, OR
surface irrigated with tailwater captured.

Surface irrigated with 20' wide or greater buffer of ungrazed vegetation along the stream

--- Surface irrigated with no buffer along the stream; tailwater is not captured.

 

 

 
9. Fertilizers Fertilizers applied based on soil test or Extension guidelines and manure scattered with harrow, OR fertilizer not used and manure scattered. Fertilizer applied based on soil test or Extension guidelines and manure not scattered, OR fertilizer not used and manure not scattered. Fertilizer applied without soil test or Extension guidelines, but manure is scattered. Fertilizer applied without soil test or extension guidelines and manure is not scattered.