Clint Hetherington - Spring Development
The Soil & Water office has implemented many conservation projects in the last few months that include no-till seeding for soil erosion control, man-aged intensive grazing systems for the improvement of pastureland and the installation of fence adjacent to waterways to prevent livestock from access-ing the stream to improve water quality. However, along with these projects the one we are spotlighting this quarter is a Spring Development for landowner, Clint Hetherington, of Crane, Mo.
This practice is designed to protect and enhance water quality though the collection and distribution of a ground water resource. The practice applies where livestock have free access to a spring or seep that can be developed to provide a dependable supply of water into a livestock tank. Cost-share funds are authorized for up to 300 feet of trenching and pipeline from the spring collection point to the outlet, for pipeline, large perforated pipe, gravel and an exclusion fence.
The area below the spring on Clint’s farm could be described as a Stone County "lob-lolley"….a big mess that is fed by a 4 gallon + per minute seep from a hillside creating a 30 by 200 foot mud hole for cattle to tromp and trample. Clint was able to make a clean cut in the hillside to solid rock and install a standing 18 inch by 5 foot perforated pipe inside a small area secured by a 3 foot earthen dam to retain the spring water. A PVC supply pipe was buried from the standing perforated spring collection pipe to a 500 gallon concrete tank complete with an underground overflow pipe. Two inch gravel fill was placed around the standing pipe. The surrounding area and ditch line was then lightly bladed, seeded and mulched thus "healing" the old seep area. The spring water tank became a water source for 3 paddocks within an intensive grazing system.
Projects like these make a small conservation footprint but as we continue such important management practices we are making great strides in soil erosion control and water quality. We appreciate landowners like Clint Hetherington who are willing to put boots on the ground, gloves on their hands and make an effort to protect soil and water for the future while at the same time enhancing his own management. Clint has also installed other perma-nent tanks and cross-fence for the benefits of a managed grazing system. Within this system, Clint also installed permanent fencing to exclude several acres of woods from livestock. We want to thank Clint for his participation, motivation and hard work. Stone County and Spring Creek are blessed to have such concerned cooperators. Not only were practices installed for the sake of conservation but Clint will reap the many benefits of enhancing his own farm management.