# “Conservation district” question



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Ask them. I would guess most farmers have that kind of question. 

You always want to shield streams and ponds from livestock's free access. Otherwise they will be enormously destructive to all the life that waterways support, and that destruction affects everything downstream as well. I see this neglected all the time and everywhere, and it always makes me terribly sad. "No free access" is not the same as no access at all. You could fence off the creeks and graze alongside with temporary fencing when the ground was dry.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Can you look at a topographical map and see if what you think is a creek is not a water runoff and land depression spot, and yes they can run for miles.
Is it man-made or nature made?
Origin point at a stream or underground spring might give you some more idea of what you might encounter...
And is this "service" free or are there charges for coming to see and evaluate and offer solutions...be careful there is not _"fine print"_ missed...
:runninghorse2:...


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

horselovinguy said:


> Can you look at a topographical map and see if what you think is a creek is not a water runoff and land depression spot, and yes they can run for miles.
> Is it man-made or nature made?
> Origin point at a stream or underground spring might give you some more idea of what you might encounter...
> And is this "service" free or are there charges for coming to see and evaluate and offer solutions...be careful there is not _"fine print"_ missed...
> :runninghorse2:...


It's not water runoff. It's definitely a tiny creek. The sellers referred to them as "seasonal streams," and I'm going to ask them for more information about that when we go back out there in a couple of weeks. The county has it mapped as being in the forest parcel next door, but I walked that parcel and the map is incorrect -- it's on my property.

@Avna the two creeks join near the edge of the property and I was going to fence that off, but they are so tiny (when I was out there at the end of the rainy season one was about three inches wide by about two inches deep, and the other was maybe twice that size) with sandy bottoms -- could the horses really do that much damage? I mean, I know horses can do a lot of damage, but these creeks are mostly too small for them to even drink out of, so why would they even be hanging around them? After exiting my property, the stream does enter a legitimate fish stream, and about a mile after that it enters the bay, so I do want to protect it from manure, but fencing off both creeks would be a pain. I am not sure if they are really "seasonal streams" as the sellers say, or if they are year-round -- would that make a difference? Like maybe I could keep the horses off when there's running water, but let them on when they are "dry"?

I'm not trying to argue, just trying to understand what I need to do.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

If they are legitimate "streams" they must have a head-water, a origin point...that would make all the difference in the world to me...
Is it ground seepage and then accumulates to run down hill and away..
Or is it fed by a live point of water coming from the earth...a head-water.
Is rainy season anything like what you would get in the springtime of snow/ice melt..??.
That gentle tiny water path could increase in size, depth and volume of water carried in a hurry and run-over the banks easily... 

:runninghorse2:...


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You can get the advice you need from those types of advisory services but even though they say they aren't regulatory themselves you will find that there are probably laws in your area that apply to all of the things they list.
The service will help you not to break those laws but they won't protect you if you do and they become aware that you are.
They will report you because protecting the environment comes first and foremost to them


I'm not saying don't use them - what I'm saying is use them to be sure you don't accidentally break any local environment laws but don't expect them to protect you if you do.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@jaydee thanks that's what I was worried about. Maybe I will see if I can find a private person who provides the same services. I'd rather pay for the service and not get reported. I hope I don't sound like a terrible person -- minimizing my horses' impact on the environment is one of my top priorities -- but I feel like the county regulations as they currenty exist are just too onerous, and I don't want to lose the ability to use my property.
@horselovinguy both apparently originate in small ponds about half a mile from my property, although I'm sure in the (wet) winter a lot of the water in there will be runoff. In the winter, I'm planning on keeping the horses in a sacrifice lot anyway, so they wouldn't be near the water at that time.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

@ACinATX
I get your point but please be careful if you try to circumvent any environmental laws that effect your property, even though some of them do seem silly.
There are other people who can report you, quite often they’re the lovely neighbors you thought were so friendly!


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