Susan Hoey Lees Aug, 2013

Transcription

1 Susan Hoey Lees Aug, 2013

2 Mud (Drainage) & Health Management Starts with Understanding your Site Specific Resources first: To Help Save or Improve your Sites Resources: Soil, Water, Air, Plants, Animal, Human, Energy What works next door may not work on your site! Why is Saving or Improving these Resources important to you? Overall Improved Quality of life systems: Health & Vigor of: Animals Humans (you & your family) Your lands Environment (impacts beyond your property) Saves Time & $$$: Reduces chore efforts/time Saves $$$ overall Keeping soil in place saves you $$$ & time minimizes mud & erosion control measures required reduce tractor/fuel/labor or material cost/time to move/replace lost soils back to fields retain healthy soils in place to enhance your operations

3 Do the following images look familiar? What are some health concerns with mud?

4 Does having livestock or horses always = having dirt/mud lots, dust, & manure? NO Management Techniques and resource conservation measures can help overcome these issues The preceding slides all showed at least one type of resource and/or health/safety concerns. What concerns can you identify in the following images?

5 Where to begin with Mud (Drainage) & Health Management? Know your soil type(s), your rainfall, current & desired plants Resources to help you: RCD Extension Office(s) Soil Testing Labs Web Soil Survey Sonoma Co. Annual Rainfall Ranges: Sonoma County: Northwest region: Southeast region: Northeast region: Santa Rosa region: Marin Co. Annual Rainfall Ranges: Marin County: Northwest region: Southeast region: San Rafael & Novato regions: 24-44

6 Elements of Mud (Drainage) & Health It starts from the ground up Soils: the foundation of your site Things you need to know about your soils: Type/Texture Vegetation & Gravel protect soils from impacts & dislodement Horizon Depths Rain: it impacts ground surfaces differently! Bare Soils are vulnerable particles dislodge Restrictive features or Compaction Runoff class Water Availability Capacity class Drainage Classification

7 Elements affecting Mud (Drainage) & Health Planning & Management: How much rain you get matters: Plant types/species Surfacing Materials Mud/Drainage/Erosion Control Measures Dust generation Topography & Location of your site matters: Gently sloping sites vs. steep or flat sites Top, Middle or the Bottom of a slope Flood plains, canyon valleys, ridges or on foothills will change your planning, management, chore efforts, erosion/drainage, plant types and selections, and grazing practices implemented Being on a south, north, east or west facing land will affect all of the above Manure Management does matter: Ever wonder why your livestock avoids grazing in areas where manure has sat? Fresh manure on pastures affects grass, makes it undesireable & unpalatable to most horses and livestock, affects animal health & water quality via water runoff Manure left in paddocks becomes part of the MUD equation and contributes to unhealthy conditions and poor water quality via water runoff

8 Do I have a Paddock/Feed Lot, a Pasture or _? Does it matter? Is the area irrigated at any time? Is the area large enough to be a substantial source of forage for your livestock? Is the area predominately covered with vegetation (dead or alive) year round? Does the area supplement your feeding with occasional grazing for your livestock? Yes = you should be planning & managing it as a pasture. Do you feed hay year round due to lack of grazing options? Is the area used primarily as a holding/confinement area? Is the area used primarily for an exercise or fresh air area? Yes = you should be planning & managing it as a paddock/feed lot.

9 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Management Specific Elements to Consider for Paddocks/Feed Lots: Surfacing/Footing Materials: Bare Soils: leads to the MUD equation!

10 What is the MUD Equation??? Consideration for Paddocks & Pastures: MUD equation: Soil + Water/Fluids + Organic Matter + Hoof Action = MUD = MUD How to reduce or eliminate the mud? Reduce or eliminate one or more elements from the equation!!!

11 Paddock Surfacing Materials cont Wood Chips/Bark/Hog Fuels: a temporary solution! Various sizes & textures large to fine, rough to soft Various wood types barks to cellulose, non-toxic to toxic Tree species toxic to horses or trigger allergic reactions that may be found in local sources; Black Walnut, Black Locust, Oak, Horsechestnut (all parts of these trees are toxic to horses to some extent) Relatively inexpensive Horses readily roll on or rest on surface Difficult to clean manure and other organics adequately from it Is organic, will decompose, must be replenished rate of decomposition is dependant on climate, rainfall, extent of use and activity level of livestock

12 Paddock Surfacing Materials cont Geofabrics & Geogrids w/ draining materials: Various types, sizes & patterns must be matched to purpose & soil type Wide range of costs by type, durability/use and locality markets Geofabrics: primary use as a barrier to separate soil from draining materials -Woven, Non-Woven & flat grid fabrics type used must be site and use specific -Drain materials used are site specific and dependant on use/activities of the area, soils, rainfall and personal preferences Geogrids: primary use for weight-bearing activities or to reduce drain materials profile -With or without Non-Woven fabrics on grid system type used must be site and use specific -Reduce amount of drain materials required with less shifting of materials must be site and use specific

13 Paddock Surfacing Materials cont - Examples of Paddock, Shelter, Access/Path Retrofits & New Installations: Fabric pinned to compacted soils & base course rock (2 minus) laid atop Top course rock (5/8 minus) laid & compacted in shelter & paddock Shelter mats were added atop compacted top course image = 3 yrs post -installation Geogrid w/ fabric backing laid & pinned to compacted soil, drain rock installed atop grids

14 Paddock Surfacing Materials cont - Examples of Paddocks & Arena Retrofits & Installations: Retrofitted Arena with atop a geofabric Retrofitted Paddock with sand atop a small cell geogrid system Top course of 3/8 minus gravel Images and construction by: NBW,LLC Horse Farm Services, Lester Prairie, MN Paddock Installation with gravel atop a small cell geogrid system

15 Paddock Planning & Management for Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Location/Site Planning: Must be coordinated with other planning elements Work with the land not against it! Do not place paddocks on perennially wet soils (ie swampy or wetland areas) Do not place paddocks on steep slopes (ie safety of horses=flatter is better, reduces erosion potential) Do not place paddocks in a drainage pathway (natural, man-made, surface & subsurface) Do not place paddocks in the coldest, frosty/icy places on your site (ie avoid north slopes if possible) Do not make extra work for yourself! Develop a central core, water & power system to ease chores -do you really want to walk to the far ends of your site for everyday chores? Work with natural drainage patterns of your property Keep soil in place means saving you $$$$ & time Use vegetation to hold soil in place! Reduces, or eliminates, the need for erosion/drainage control measures Assists with reducing the MUD equation & Dust Hayward Designs, LTD By Equine Facilities Design By Lynn Long Planning and Design LLC

16 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Mud/Drainage: -Surface & Subsurface Drainage affects Watersheds Look beyond your fences! Know what is coming toward you from upstream Know where and how much water you may have to deal with, pastures are more tolerant of unexpected flooding than paddocks Avoid an unexpected MUD equation by planning for drainage! Know where it is leaving your place & how you are impacting it! Goal to strive for or achieve: Water leaves your site as clean or cleaner than it entered!!!

17 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Reduce Mud by Controlling runoff - Drainage & Erosion: Keep clean water clean wherever possible & keep roof runoff out of paddocks! Use raingutters, downspouts, rain harvesting and/or drainage tightline systems to keep and move water away from your paddocks Quick roof calc example: Santa Rosa foothill rainfall: 36 /yr = (3.0ft/yr); Typ Shelter Roof Area of 12 x12 = 144sq.ft. Solve for Yearly runoff of roof: (144sf)(3.0ft)= cf/yr Convert to Gallons for storage: (432.0 cf)(7.48 gal/cf)= 3, gal per yr! Water/Fluid is a key component in the MUD equation! Soil + Water/Fluids + Organic Matter + Hoof Action = MUD Use swales, French drains, catch basins, drainages tightline systems to keep and move water away from your paddocks Filter strips around paddocks/heavyuse areas will slow/filter water from reaching or leaving these areas Before Post-Installation Following Season Following Season

18 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Manure Management: A combination of Planning and Chore management Key component of the MUD equation!! Soil + Water/Fluids + Organic Matter + Hoof Action = MUD Organic matter is great in gardens not in paddocks Nothing will render your new paddock footing useless faster than allowing manure to accumulate, breakdown and clog all the drainage pore spaces with organic matter!!! Daily pickup is essential for the longevity & functionality of a paddock system Manure storage plan for temporary or long term storage solutions on site or plan for it to be removed offsite! Not Planned for! Planned for!

19 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Stream Bank Erosion: Keep banks vegetated reseed if needed Fence off stream banks Establish a riparian buffer planting Establish stream crossing locations

20 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Resolutions Additional BMP s Reduce soil dislodgement/suspension, wet or dry! Rainwater Harvesting helps minimize Dust & Mud Hedgerows & Windbreaks to minimize dust movement Roadbed seeding mud (drainage) & dust Animal Trails & Walkways Hedgerow Hedgerow Hedgerow Before Post-Seeding In-Use Windbreak - New

21 Mud (Drainage), Dust & Health Issues Questions??