More than three quarters of the water samples sent to a southern Alberta laboratory are very high in salts, which are dangerous to cattle, says an official with Norwest Labs.
“Three-quarters of the dugout water is extremely high in salts,” said Ken Mrazek, vice-president of the agrifood division of Norwest Labs.
Mrazek said some dugout water is closer to sea water than what is fit for livestock.
“They can’t use it,” said Mrazek who has checked numerous samples from producers whose animals have died because of poor water.
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The worst problems seem to occur where a stream feeds the dugouts. Because of low water levels, salts are moving to the surface and contaminating the water.
Dugouts that were fine to use in the spring are unusable now.
Lorne Cole, range improvement specialist for the Special Areas of southeastern Alberta administered by the province, said many of the dugouts in his area have double the salt concentration they had in the spring.
More than two to three feet of water evaporated from most dugouts during this summer’s drought, concentrating the saltiness.
“It’s getting pretty scary here,” said Cole, based in Hanna.
He said one producer built a new dugout and the water was “slightly salty” this spring. When Cole checked it this fall, the water was six times as salty.
Another producer was pumping water into the dugout from an aquifer, but the cattle refused to drink it.
“Most guys figure any water is better than no water,” he said.
Cole said he has had no reports of cattle dying from the salt water, but some producers have lost cattle because they grazed in pastures they wouldn’t normally graze at this time of year and ate poisonous plants.
This year producers in the Special Areas have dug in more than 300 kilometres of pipeline to bring water to dry areas of the pasture.
“If you can pump water to a trough, it’s so much better than allowing cows to wallow through the mud.”
Jim Graham, Saskatchewan Agriculture livestock agrologist in Swift Current, said one producer in his area had three water sources – a creek and two dugouts – but only one had water fit for cattle to drink.
Many cows and calves will be sent to market early to conserve the remaining grass and water, said Graham.
“Anything with a hump, bump or lump is going to go.”
