Livestock in streams cause excess sediment and nutrient pollution. Nutrient pollution kills aquatic invertebrates. These include larval food species for fish, swifts and swallows which are showing the greatest declines for birds.  Grazing cattle will mean less trout and other fish for recreation. 

Swifts and swallows are showing the greatest declines of all bird groups in North America. These are the canary in the coal mines for the problems of increasing nutrient pollution. Dying Eagles and Osprey warned us of problems with DDT in the 1970’s. It wasn’t until 2020 that we learned that DDT caused testicular cancer. But is was a good thing that we stopped it in the 1970’s. 

Richmond Audubon members enjoy counting birds as part of ecotourism. But the declines in these birds let us become aware of larger problems. Farmers on small farms should be given funds or tax deductions to defray the cost of water troughs and their maintenance.  As more of our land is developed and less forests protect water, we should act to fence off streams from cattle before more damage is done.