Save the Water

Save the Water

By Matt Giese

Ten years ago, I purchased a small, family-owned dairy farm that had milked 100 cows in a 50-cow stanchion barn. The cows were long gone and many of the buildings needed roofs and general repair. The farm was sold with only 10 acres, making milking cows not feasible. The property has a small tributary that is approximately 2,200 feet long that empties into the East River. On the tributary there was a large stand of invasive phragmites and shrub willow. It was difficult to even access the stream due to the massive overgrowth. Removal started with a fire on one cold and calm day in March of 2017 when the stand (approximately 1/3 acre) of phragmites was lit with permission from the local fire dept. It was an amazing fire that only lasted a short period of time, but the fire was intense and there was little vegetation remaining. Later that day, I spread grass seed, forbs and native perennials on the charred and warm soil.

Later in the spring, the phragmites reappeared and would have reestablished themselves, but I started using goats to eat the tender shoots. Goats loved the fresh forage and dislike the water. With the support of my neighbor across the tributary, we were able to set up temporary fencing and have the goats forage on this browse when new growth occurs. I continued to have them forage throughout the season. By having the goats work on the browse, my input cost of feed, medications and other supplements was minimal through the growing season. Overall herd health and weight gain is great when they can eat what they want.

The real benefit is the streams are free of debris and the stream banks now have native vegetation that lay down when exposed to high stream flows. The water can flow unobstructed without stream banks collapsing.

The shrub willows were also the target of goats. The willows were well-established, but were no match for the Salix-loving goats. The goats would climb the trees in hopes of getting the fresh buds, tender shoots and narrow leaves. The willows are a natural dewormer for the goats and prove very beneficial to their health.

Re-establishing native trees on the stream was a priority to get some shade and structure to hold the banks. I chose native, single trunk river birch and swamp white oak to provide noninvasive trees that create a diverse and healthy habitat.

Pollination Regeneration Stations (PRS’s) were established on the eroded gullies that run perpendicular to the streams. The PRS’s drop their seeds in fall and winter, and they flow down the stream thus establishing the natives downstream. Joe Pye weed, purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans do very well in our environments and are very desirable to pollinators.

Since the transformation has started, there has been a dramatic increase in the diversity of plants, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Using ruminants, like goats, to clear the invasives on streams has many positive benefits to the environment, especially the water. The health of my animals is improved as they can forage on browse they would normally not get in their diet. 

A strong community effort will be necessary to improve the water quality in our watershed and especially the Bay of Green Bay.  The re-establishment of native species that promotes a diverse and desirable population will lead to a healthier environment for everyone.