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Controlling Creekside Cows

East Bay MUD has always had cows chewing the grass on its watershed lands in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Now for the first time, the utility district has published a detailed plan for regulating cattle grazing so that the bovines can have minimal impact on water quality and even provide benefits to the environment.

In less enlightened times, the philosophy regarding grazing was "maximal utilization," explains EBMUD's Steve Abbors. Ranchers paid a considerable amount of money to the district for use of its lands, and the cows helped to reduce fire danger by keeping fuel loads low. The negative effects became more apparent as hooves contributed to soil erosion and water quality suffered with pathogens, nutrients and sediments finding their way into the district's creeks and reservoirs.

In 1996, the district adopted a master plan for managing its entire 28,000 acres of watershed lands, which called for the development of a range management program. Grazing is permitted on about 10,000 acres of EBMUD's property. The district board then passed a Range Resource Management Plan in December 2001.

"We're trying to focus on protection of water quality and biodiversity to the greatest extent possible," says Abbors. That's not easy - much of the EBMUD property is on the urban interface, where fire protection is a major, and justified, concern. He notes that grazing is sometimes the only practical method of checking the rampant growth of flammable grass and brush - controlled burns are "very problematic" for nearby homeowners. Hand mowing is also fiscally unfeasible because there are dozens of parcels spread out over two counties that would all need trimming at the same time. "We're not going to buy a mower for each one of them," he says.

There's a wide variety of soil types, topography, flora and fauna among the different parcels, and the plan mandates development of one and five year programs for each "allotment." Certain watersheds - most notably those around San Pablo, Briones and Upper San Leandro reservoirs - are particularly sensitive because they store water that is regularly used by the district's customers. Those watersheds are more tightly regulated - streams around them are out-fenced with a 100-foot buffer, for example. Grazing is not allowed nearby during winter months, when rains can wash bacteria-laden feces into the water. Abbors says that EBMUD is in the process of fencing off stock ponds on its land and pumping the water to troughs nearby. That way cows don't trample the vegetation and muddy the water, and as a result, many of the ponds can serve as habitat for red-legged frogs and other creatures.

Instead of selling grazing leases to the highest bidder, the plan calls for using an "appraisal method" for selecting ranchers. The district will evaluate a rancher's current operations to see if best management practices are being used, and other environmental criteria, such as experience with integrated pest management techniques, will also be included.

Unlike the grazing plans drawn up by the East Bay Regional Park District, the EBMUD program has created virtually no controversy. "Overall, [EBMUD] seems to have a pretty good approach in how they handle things," says the Sierra Club's Norman La Force. He adds that Abbors and his staff are "very environmentally in tune" on many issues, and have won the respect of local activists.

Abbors says that attitudes have gradually changed since he started working for the district in the mid 1980s. "There was nothing written, no plan at all," he recollects. He says that over the years, agency staff have come to appreciate both the detrimental effects and the benefits of grazing. "They understand the balance." Many of the practices embodied in the management plan have already been put into effect, he adds, noting that grazing levels have been cut in half since 1993. Still, having a comprehensive plan in writing will be a big help. "The bottom line is that it really helps us stay on course."

Contact: Rod Tripp (510) 287-2022 or Steve Abbors (510) 287-2027 O'B

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