Dugouts Showing Effects of Drought

Water levels in many Prairie dugouts are lower than farmers can remember. Compounding problems, the remaining water is often very salty or highly coloured and smelly. Some sources have deteriorated to the point that livestock health may be affected.

Jean-Paul Monvoisin of Gravelbourg, SK has experienced two consecutive years of drought. Last year, his dugout was so low he excavated a channel from an adjacent slough. In the process, he may have intercepted a sand seam containing very salty water.

"When we lost several cattle we thought it was a poisonous weed," said Monvoisin. "Although we had tested the water several weeks before, the new test showed sulphates over 7000. When we started hauling water from another dugout, the herd's health improved."

The low water level in the dugout allowed Monvoisin to clean out his dugout and he is hoping for some runoff. He is also drilling test holes to try and find some groundwater.

This spring, many producers may be facing a similar predicament. Finding out that their water quality has deteriorated to the point that cattle get sick or won't drink will leave producers scrambling to find other sources. Testing water frequently is important during droughts to prevent just such a situation. Tests for conductivity or total dissolved solids (TDS) indicate salt levels and are inexpensive. If the TDS exceeds 3000 mg/L, additional tests and close monitoring of the water are advised.

Low dugout water levels mean that suspended and dissolved substances are concentrated in the remaining water. If dugout water is lower than the adjacent water table, highly saline water may flow into the dugout. If this happens, the water may become salty to the point that livestock will reject it. Salty water usually contains excessive sulphates that can cause scours in calves, and if high enough, may be harmful to herd health.

There are other issues to keep in mind when dugout water levels are low. During a drought, there is less runoff to dilute accumulated nutrients and the runoff usually carries more nutrient-laden particles. Runoff water from a small snowpack may be laden with drift soil and will pick up more soil as it flows into the dugout. Compounding matters, drought-stressed grass in the buffer strip may be thin and less effective at filtering out particles. Nutrients can also be added by blowing soil. These nutrients may then, in turn, become more concentrated by evaporation during hot summer weather.

High concentrations of nutrients in the water can use up available oxygen quickly, leaving the water cloudy and smelly. However, continuous aeration of dugout water will effectively combat this cycle, and prevent the development of potentially toxic blue-green algae.

Given current conditions, some producers may even experience a totally dry dugout, something that has not happened for some time. This may be an opportunity to clean up the dugout by cutting willows and perhaps even dredging the bottom. Dugout rehabilitation is a step in the right direction to keep your water supply healthy.