TCA funding helps production and the environment

Flying Fox Swamp received funding to protect water quality and habitat

Water quality for stock is important to Garry Riggs, a pastoralist from Lakefield Station on the Sturt Plateau.

“From day one here we have had it in our mind that we need clean accessible drinking water. By accessible I mean dams that don’t have boggy edges. A cow that drinks too much water won’t get out of boggy waterholes. If she falls down she’s never going to get up. So she will only drink what she can to get out of the waterhole. And if it’s filthy water, they’ll only drink what they need to survive.

“With access to clean drinkable water they can drink the right amount of water needed to absorb all this dry grass. You can extend the life of your cow, they will put on weight faster and maintain condition because they can eat more dry grass.”

Garry has built dams to rest areas around his permanent water. The dams are fenced and many are equipped with pumps to maintain water quality.

“Dams without pumps are still fenced, and as soon as the water goes rank or edges get boggy I shut the gate and keep stock out.”

Grazing within the fenced area is managed to ensure that a dense grass filter is maintained to clean run-off and stop the dam from silting up. Wider filters are more likely to trap finer sediments such as silts.

Funding is available to fence valuable wetlands, and Garry has accessed this funding to offset the cost of fencing around Flying Fox Swamp. Watch the video to see how, and go to this link to learn more about the fund.