Assessing the effects of cattle exclusion practices on water quality in headwater streams in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

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dc.contributor.authorMaschke, Nancy Janeen
dc.contributor.committeechairHeatwole, Conrad D.en
dc.contributor.committeememberYagow, Eugene R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBenham, Brian L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBosch, Darrell J.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Systems Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:34:00Zen
dc.date.adate2012-05-24en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:34:00Zen
dc.date.issued2012-01-27en
dc.date.rdate2012-05-24en
dc.date.sdate2012-04-21en
dc.description.abstractLivestock best management practices (BMPs) such as streamside exclusion fencing are installed to reduce cattle impacts on stream water quality such as increases in bacteria through direct deposition and sediment through trampling. The main objective of this study is to assess the effects of different cattle management strategies on water quality. The project site was located near Keezletown, VA encompassing Cub Run and Mountain Valley Road Tributary streams. During two, one-week studies, eight automatic water samplers took two-hour composites for three periods: baseline, cattle access, and recovery. During the cattle access period, livestock were able to enter the riparian zone normally fenced off. Water samples were analyzed for E.coli, sediment, and nutrients to understand the short-term, high-density, or flash grazing, impact on water quality. Additional weekly grab and storm samples were collected. Results show that cattle do not have significant influence on pollutant concentrations except in stream locations where cattle gathered for an extensive period of time. Approximately three cattle in the stream created an increase in turbidity above baseline concentrations. E.coli and TSS concentrations of the impacted sites returned to baseline within approximately 6 to 20 hours of peak concentrations. Weekly samples show that flash grazing does not have a significant influence on pollutant concentrations over a two-year time frame. Sediment loads from storms and a flash grazing event showed similar patterns. Pollutant concentrations through the permanent exclusion fencing reach tended to decrease for weekly and flash grazing samples.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-04212012-102117en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04212012-102117/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/31811en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartMaschke_NA_2012_v2.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectBMPen
dc.subjectWater qualityen
dc.subjectflash grazingen
dc.subjectcattle exclusionen
dc.titleAssessing the effects of cattle exclusion practices on water quality in headwater streams in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginiaen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Systems Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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