Dugouts can be good sources of quality water if they are properly maintained.
The best way to do that is to take the water to the animals rather than allow livestock to wade into dugouts.
“We’re trying to encourage producers to pump water to their cattle rather than direct watering from the dugout where they tramp in the sides, and get lots of weeds and algae growing and of course, deposit manure,” said Alberta Agriculture water specialist Bob Buchanan, at Barrhead.
Besides animals defecating in the water, the growth of water plants and algae leads to quality problems.
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One solution is to grass the watercourse leading to the dugout to keep out nutrient-rich sediments and discourage plant growth.
Another system involves building a flood diversion dike around the dugout with a gated culvert inlet to stave off pesticide runoff, bacteria and dirty water after a heavy rain or rapid snow melt.
Algae and water plants growing on the water are responsible for the foul taste, smell and brackish appearance of dugouts. As plants decompose on the bottom of a dugout they release hydrogen sulphide gas, which has a rotten egg smell.
There are hundreds of species of algae and they seem able to thrive in almost any environment. While most are a nuisance because they plug pipes and screens, other types can be dangerous.
Certain species of blue-green algae are toxic and can affect the nervous system or internal organs of animals. This variety is most dangerous after a period of warm, sunny weather when growth is rapid and algae is concentrated at one end of a dugout.
If the algae is toxic it can kill an animal within minutes, say agriculture extension staff.
