Watering Facility
Watering facilities such as troughs are intended to provide animals with access to water. Sometimes they are placed in such as way as to encourage distribution of livestock over an area instead of constant congregation in one spot. This reduces stress in concentrated areas that can lead to soil erosion and contamination of water flowing off the pasture and into water bodies.
Watering facilities can also be used in combination with the exclusion of animals from streams by way of a fence. This practice provides animals with access to water without compromising the vegetated buffer around the stream. Keeping livestock out of the stream eliminates sediment loading and manure contribution directly to the waterway.
