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Grazing Lands
Grazing Lands & Rangelands
A major land use in Napa County, particularly in the Putah and Suisun Creek Watersheds, is livestock grazing. Grazing takes place primarily on open grasslands, but also on oak woodlands and shrublands that provide grasses, forbs, or shrubs suitable for browsing animals. With a continually growing population and changing agricultural economy, grazing land acreage in the County has declined from about 200,000 acres in 1960 to approximately 95,000 in 2003. Despite the decline, livestock grazing still remains the largest agricultural land use, in terms of acreage, in the Napa County’s watersheds.
Managing grazing lands properly is critical to watershed protection. Livestock grazing, if not well-managed, can negatively impact our watersheds. Poor management can lead to increased soil compaction and erosion, decreased water quality, damage to native plant species, and loss of wildlife habitat such as riparian corridors. Livestock managers are implementing grazing management systems at a watershed level to help protect water quality, soil integrity, and wildlife habitat. These integrated livestock management systems balance forage production with desired animal impacts to protect the integrity of the natural system of grass, trees, soil and water.
Controlling or eliminating livestock access to streamside areas is important for protecting water quality and riparian habitat. Practices include installing fences to exclude livestock from the riparian corridor and providing off-stream watering sites. Implementing rotational grazing practices and managing noxious weeds is critical to critical to sustaining grassland productivity and controlling erosion. Thistles, goatgrass, tarweed and other non-native species of plants compete with native species for water, soil, and space. Adoption of a range rejuvenation program, followed by well planned range management, helps to control these unwanted invaders.
Source: Napa County Resource Conservation DistrictPhoto: Todd Adams
