Watering Livestock Directly from Watercourses
Livestock that have free access to watercourses may impact both the water quality and the land bordering the watercourse (the riparian area).
Good stewardship by the agricultural land user includes preserving the integrity of watercourses, streambanks, and riparian areas through environmentally responsible livestock management.
While livestock can cause impacts, this does not mean all livestock need to be denied direct access to watercourses.
Good information is provided in a factsheet which discusses direct access to watercourses for livestock watering.
The factsheet is available from the Resource Management Branch website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.