Good Management Practices for Waterways and Critical Source Areas

You can do this by following these four steps:

1. Paddock selection - this forms the foundation on which to implement mitigation measures.

• Map and describe the paddock (slope, area, history). 
• Identify where water is coming from.
• Identify where water leaves the paddock. 

2. Implement control measures for stopping or controlling water entering the paddock. 

• Interception drains.
• Correctly sized culverts. 
• Benched headlands.  
• Bunds.  
• Grassed swales (controlled overland flow through the paddock). 

3. Implement erosion control measures to keep soil on the paddock.

• Cover crops.  
• Wheel track ripping / Wheel track dyking  
• Contour drains.  
• Using short row lengths.  
• Cultivation practices, including minimising passes/minimal tillage.  
• Harvest management – timing / all-weather facilities.  
• Post-harvest field management.  
• Windbreak crops (wind erosion)  

4. Implement sediment control measures to manage the water and suspended solids that move off the paddock. 

• Ensure access ways are not at the lowest point.  
• Raised access ways / bunds.
• Vegetated buffer strips/ riparian margins / hedges.  
• Silt fences.  
• Stabilised discharge points and drains.  
• Decanting earth bunds and silt traps. 

Deer Farming

Minimise fence pacing for deer farming by:

• Maintaining appropriate feeding levels to reduce stress and fence pacing.
• Identifying the best stock class to fit the soil types to minimise the risk of soil erosion, as identified in the Deer Farmers Landcare Manual;
• Maintaining pasture length in winter or wet periods, to prevent soil from being washed off in heavy rain. In particularly vulnerable areas, retain tussock cover or native vegetation to regulate water runoff and to reduce the risk of soil loss, particularly in gullies or along riparian margins. 
• If fence pacing is bad, fill in the area and re-sow or plant with trees, and if damage is extreme, re-fence to remove the problem area. If fence pacing continues, review fence placement, as this can be a contributing factor. 

Dairy

• Identify where surface runoff can enter waterways.
• Leave a grass buffer strip or plant riparian vegetation between waterways and fences.
• When cultivating paddocks, leave an uncultivated buffer strip between the cultivation area and the waterway (make it wider on steeper land). 
• Ensure bridges and culverts have raised sides (bunding) to prevent runoff from entering the waterway.
• Keep stock out of Critical Source Areas during high-risk times, such as when the soil is saturated or heavy rain is forecast. 

You can show you meet this GMP with: 

• Identifying risk areas on your Farm Map.
• Record riparian fencing, planting, or buffer strips on your Farm Map.
• Develop and document cropping and pasture renewal policies and procedures.
• Keep track of maintenance records and bridge/culvert design plans and regularly inspect them for effectiveness (include dated photos). 

How you can do this:

Identification and management

Deer Farming

• Where deer are grazed, identify natural springs and wallows prior to cultivating paddocks and pipe or drain into retired areas.
• Provide a suitable area away from waterways for safe wallowing of deer.

Dairy

• If possible, locate tracks/laneways and gateways away from all permanent and intermittent waterways and low points in the landscape.
• Should tracks/laneways and gateways be next to a waterway, ensure the ground is sloped in the opposite direction and maintain track cut-outs to direct run-off away from waterways.
• Ensure bridges and culverts have raised sides (bunding) to prevent runoff from entering the waterway.
• Ensure gateways are in dry spots and wide enough for good cow flow to reduce pugging.
• Place water troughs and self-feeding facilities in dry areas of the paddock, away from waterways.
• Temporary feed-out areas (including in-paddock bale placement) are located away from waterways, low points in the landscape, or where waterways could occur.
• Annually assess the condition of all farm infrastructures, including raceways, gateways, stock crossings, troughs, and feed areas, for effectiveness, and carry out maintenance as and when needed. 

You can show you meet this GMP with:

• Identify tracks, gateways, stock crossings,  feed areas, and troughs on your Farm Map.
• Keep maintenance records and bridge/culvert design plans, including dated photos.

How you can do this:

➡️   NOTE: Good Management Practices have been established from industry-agreed principles.  These principles may be more stringent than National or Regional direction.  In the case of stock exclusion, by meeting GMPs, you will be more resilient to regulatory change and will meet the National Stock Exclusion Regulations. If you're interested in learning more about the National Regulations, head on over to our Stock Exclusion page.

• Plan and prioritise waterway areas (including wetlands) to fence, based on the vulnerability of the land, the significance of the waterway and the potential to impact water quality.
• Use a mix of mitigations and practices to minimise sediment and faecal bacteria losses from farms in hill and high-country areas.
• Actively manage stock, stock density and stock classes adjacent to waterways to reduce risks to water where fencing is not practical.
• Exclude stock from significant waterways, drains and significant wetlands.
• Ensure all waterway crossings are appropriately located and managed to avoid causing degradation to the waterway.
• Provide alternative stock drinking water sources away from waterways where possible.
• Place salt blocks and extra feed, and provide shade and shelter, away from riparian margins.
• Leave an appropriate buffer to filter runoff, even if only during vulnerable periods.
• During high-risk periods for erosion (e.g. winter grazing, fawn weaning), actively manage stock to prevent slumping, pugging or erosion.

Dairy

• Exclude stock from lakes, permanently flowing and intermittent waterways over 1 meter wide, including wetlands. Maintain a minimum 3-meter setback from waterways.
• Exclude stock from ephemeral flow paths if grazing while water is flowing (a temporary fence is sufficient).
• Install bridges or culverts at regular stock crossings.
• Develop a riparian management plan, including plantings.
• Ensure drains are well-maintained.

You can show you meet this GMP with: 

• Identifying all stock crossings, bridges/culverts on your Farm Map.
• A Riparian Management Plan detailing areas of stock exclusion (with methods used) and plantings/buffer strips.
• Documented drain management procedures. 
• A stock exclusion plan that is being actively implemented.
• Dated photographs of exclusion measures – including temporary measures.