Contact:  Malcolm McEwen Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District 545 Main Street, Suite B-1 Morro Bay, CA 93442 (805) 772-4391 (fax) 772-4398  http://www.coastalrcd.org

Coastal RCD helps local rancher improve grazing practices and reduce erosion

To: Editor

For Immediate Release

On Friday, December 13, 2002 the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District provided the first payment of nearly $20,000 toward 90% of the cost of fencing, piping, and water troughs to help the Turri Ranch and Cattle Company improve its grazing practices.The project involves installing 11,000 feet of fencing, 5,000 feet of pipeline, one tank and 5 watering troughs.The work will divide two pastures into 8, allowing better control of grazing impacts.This improved management will mean better use of the resources, longer periods between each grazing, and an increase in residual dry matter at the end of each summer.One effect of the project will be to reduce erosion from early season storms, thereby reducing sediment loads to Morro Bay.

Total cost of the project is estimated to be $34,750.Steve Soderstrom and Dave Alford noted, “We’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but it’s hard to justify this amount of investment on a strictly financial basis.With the help of the RCD, we’re able to make better use of our resources, reduce our impacts to the environment, and improve our bottom line.”

Malcolm McEwen, watershed coordinator for the District praised the ranchers for their efforts, “Steve and Dave are doing a great thing for Morro Bay, and a good thing for their operation.”Dave Alford noted the involvement of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.“We really want to acknowledge all the hard work Cheryl Zelus of the NRCS put into this project.”

Once the fences and troughs were installed, Dave and Steve both thought of their grandfather - how much he enjoyed working cattle and how he would have enjoyed the details of the project and effect of the new management system.With the new arrangement Steve reported an unexpected change in his herd’s behavior.The herd used to move clockwise around the large pasture, taking about 36 hours to complete the loop.In the new, smaller paddocks, the herd is moving in a counterclockwise direction.

The work is part of “Project Clearwater” an RCD program in the Morro Bay watershed supported by grants from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the California State Coastal Conservancy, and the Morro Bay National Estuary Program.

For more information, contact Malcolm McEwen at (805)772-4391.

   

Steve Soderstrom and Dave Alford of the Turri Ranch and Cattle Company, pictured here with Malcolm McEwen in front of one of their new watering troughs, are all smiles as they accept the first payment from the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District.