Texas A&M AgriLife Texas Water Resources Institute

Improving Water Quality of Grazing Lands

Environmental Management of Grazing Lands Work Plan

Download Environmental Management of Grazing Lands work plan

Statement of Need/Description

Livestock grazing on grasslands, if not properly managed, can contribute to nonpoint source pollution in streams. Although sediment is generally considered the largest water quality problem from improper livestock grazing, nutrients and pathogens may also be a concern.

Currently, approximately 50% of the impairments on the 2004 Texas 303(d) List are due to elevated bacteria. The State has initiated a major effort to improve the management of grazing lands to reduce NPS runoff of pathogens.

This is an important effort because livestock production on grazing lands is a major component of Texas’s agricultural economy.